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BV    1520    .H8    1910 

Hurlbut,  Jesse  Lyman,  1843- 

1930. 
Organizing  and  building  up 
the  Sunday  school 


v/ 


MODERN    SUNDAY    SCHOOL    MANUALS 

Edited   by   Charles    Foster    Kent  in 
Collaboration  with  John  T.  McFarland 


Organizing  and  Building 
Up  the  Sunday  School 

v. 

By  JESSE  LYMAN  HURLBUT 


NEW  YORK:    EATON  &   MAINS 
CINCINNATI:  JENNINGS  &  GRAHAM 


Copyright,   19 lo,  by 
EATON  &  MAINS 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

I.  The  Historic  Principles  Underlying  the  Sun- 
day School  Movement 7 

II.  The  Constitution  of  the  Sunday  School 14 

III.  The   Necessity   and  Essentials  of   a   Graded 

Sunday  School 21 

IV.  The  Grading  of  the  Sunday  School 30 

V.  The   Departments    of    the    Graded    Sunday 

School 37 

VI.  The  Superintendent 46 

VII.  The  Superintendent's  Duties  and  Responsibil- 
ities   53 

VIII.  The  Associate  and  Department  Superintend- 
ents    63 

IX.  The  Secretary  of  the  Sunday  School 69 

X.  The  Treasury  and  the  Treasurer 75 

XI.  Value  of  the  Sunday  School  Library 81 

XII.  The  Management  of  the  Library 91 

XIII.  The   Teacher's    Qualifications    and    Need   of 

Training 98 

XIV.  The  Training  and  Task  of  the  Teacher 105 

XV.  The  Constituency  of  the  Sunday  School 113 

XVI.   Recruiting  the  Sunday  School 122 

XVII.  The  Tests  of  a  Good  Sunday  School 129 

Appendix 135 


PREFATORY 

In  the  preparation  of  this  volume  the  purpose 
was  to  supply  a  convenient  handbook  upon  the 
organization,  the  management,  and  the  recruiting 
of  the  Sunday  school,  to  be  read  by  those  desiring 
information  upon  these  subjects.  But  after  the 
larger  part  of  the  work  had  been  prepared  a  desire 
was  expressed  that  the  method  of  treatment  be  so 
modified  that  the  volume  might  be  employed  as  a 
text-book  for  classes  and  individual  students  in  the 
department  of  teacher-training.  It  has  been  the 
aim  of  the  author  not  to  alter  the  work  so  mate- 
rially as  to  render  it  unfitting  for  the  general  reader; 
and  with  this  in  view  the  series  of  blackboard  out- 
lines for  the  teacher,  and  the  questions  for  the 
testing  of  the  student's  knowledge,  have  been 
placed  at  the  end  of  the  book.  In  the  hope  that 
both  the  reader  and  the  student  may  receive 
profit  from  these  pages  the  book  is  committed  to 
the  public. 

Jesse  Lyman  Hurlbut. 


THE  HISTORIC   PRINCIPLES  UNDERLYING  THE 
SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MOVEMENT 

1.  Magnitude  of  the  Sunday-School  Movement. 

At  the  opening  of  the  twentieth  century  the 
Sunday  school  stands  forth  as  one  of  the  largest, 
most  widely  spread,  most  characteristic,  and  most 
influential  institutions  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  world. 
Wherever  the  English  race  is  found  the  Sunday 
school  is  established,  in  the  Mother  isle,  on  the 
American  continent,  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
and  in  Australasia.  In  the  United  States  and 
Canada  it  has  a  following  of  fourteen  million  mem- 
bers, representing  every  religious  denomination. 
Its  periodical  literature  has  a  wider  circulation 
than  that  of  any  other  modem  educational  move- 
ment. It  touches  every  class  of  society,  from  the 
highest  to  the  lowest;  and  its  largest  membership 
is  found  among  the  young,  who  are  of  all  ages  the 
most  susceptible  to  formative  forces.  It  is  safe  to 
say  that  this  institution  has  exerted  a  powerful 
influence  upon  the  majority  of  the  men  and  women 
of  to-day,  and  is  now  shaping  the  character  of 
millions  who  will  be  the  men  and  women  of  to- 
morrow. 

2.  A  Modern  Movement.  Great  as  it  appears  in 
our  time,  the  Sunday  school  is  comparatively  a 
modem  institution.  Undoubtedly,  the  germ  of  it 
can  be  traced  back  to  that  source  of  all  the  reli- 
gious life  of  the  civilized  world,  the  Hebrew  people. 

7 


8  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

The  elemental  principle  of  the  Sunday  school  is 
possibly  to  be  found  in  the  prophetic  guilds  before 
the  Exile,  and  the  schools  of  the  Jewish  scribes 
after  the  Restoration.  The  great  Bible  class  of 
Ezra  (Neh.  8)  was  not  unlike  a  modern  Sunday 
school.  Yet  as  an  organized  institution  the 
Sunday  school  began  with  Robert  Raikes,  the 
philanthropist  of  Gloucester,  England,  who  on  one 
Sunday  in  1780  called  together  a  group  of  street 
boys  in  a  room  on  Sooty  Alley,  and  employed 
young  women  to  teach  them  the  rudiments  of 
reading  and  religion.  If  Raikes  had  not  happened 
to  be  the  editor  of  the  town  newspaper,  and  in 
constant  need  of  copy,  his  Sunday  school  might 
soon  have  been  forgotten.  But  from  time  to  time 
he  published  concerning  it  paragraphs  which  were 
copied  into  other  papers  and  attracted  attention, 
so  that  the  Sooty  Alley  Sunday  school  became  the 
parent  of  a  vast  progeny  throughout  the  United 
Kingdom  and  beyond  the  seas.  No  institution 
then  in  existence,  or  recorded  in  church  history, 
suggested  to  Robert  Raikes  either  the  name  or 
the  plan.  Both  arose  out  of  his  own  good  heart 
and  active  mind.  But  since  his  day  both  the 
name  "Sunday  school"  and  its  plan  of  working 
have  been  perpetuated,  and  every  Sunday  school 
in  the  world  is  a  monument  to  Robert  Raikes,  the 
editor  of  Gloucester. 

3.  A  Lay  Movement.  It  is  a  significant  fact 
that  the  first  Sunday  school  was  established  not 
by  a  priest,  but  by  a  private  member  of  the  Church 
of  England,  that  its  earliest  teachers  were  not 
curates,  nor  sisters,  but  young  women  of  the 
laity,  and  that  throughout  its  history  the  move- 


Historic  Principles  9 

ment  has  been  directed  and  carried  forward,  in 
all  lands  and  among  nearly  all  denominations,  by 
lay  workers.*  This  is  noteworthy,  because  in  the 
eighteenth  century,  far  more  than  in  our  time,  the 
teaching  of  religion  was  regarded  as  the  peculiar 
function  of  the  clergy,  and  lay  preaching  was 
frowned  upon  as  irregular.  The  earliest  Sunday 
school  may  have  been  preserved  from  churchly 
opposition  by  its  own  insignificance;  or  it  may 
have  won  the  favor  of  the  clergy  by  the  fact  that 
all  its  pupils  at  the  close  of  the  morning  session 
were  regularly  marched  to  church.  Whatever  the 
cause  may  have  been,  it  is  certain  that  under  a 
providence  which  we  must  regard  as  divine,  both 
in  its  beginning  and  throughout  its  history,  the 
Sunday  school,  although  a  laymen's  movement,  has 
received  favor,  and  not  opposition,  from  the  clergy 
and  the  Church. 

4.  Unpaid  Workers.  It  has  been  stated  that 
Raikes  paid  the  young  women  who  taught  in  his 
Sunday  school  a  penny  for  each  Sunday.  But  as 
the  movement  went  onward  the  conductors  and 
teachers  were  soon  giving  their  service  freely;  and 
this  has  been  the  prevailing  rule  throughout  the 
world.  There  are  a  few  Sunday  schools  wherein  a 
curate  or  assistant  pastor  is  the  superintendent, 
and  a  few  mission  schools  that  employ  a  salaried 
teacher  who  works  through  the  week  as  a  visitor; 
but  it  may  be  asserted  that  the  world-wide  army 
of  Sunday-school  workers  lay  upon  the  altar  of 
the  Church  their  free-hearted,  unpaid  offering  of 
time,  study,  and  effort.     This  has  been  and  is  a 

*  An  exception  is  to  be  noted  in  the  Sunday  schools  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church,  where  most  of  the  teachers  belong  to  religious  orders. 


lO  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

noble,  a  self-denying,  a  splendid  service;  but  it 
has  also  been  a  potent  element  in  the  progress  of 
the  movement.  Those  who  would  establish  a 
school,  alike  in  the  city  and  on  the  frontier,  have 
not  been  compelled  to  wait  until  funds  could  be 
raised  for  the  salary  of  a  superintendent  and 
teachers.  If  only  churches  rich  enough  to  pay  for 
workers  had  established  Sunday  schools  in  our 
country,  the  Sunday  school  as  an  institution  would 
not  have  advanced  westward  with  the  wave  of 
population.  And  not  only  has  the  unpaid  service 
aided  the  growth  of  the  movement,  it  has  also 
added  to  its  moral  and  religious  power.  The  pupils 
and  their  parents  have  recognized  that  the  teachers 
were  working  not  for  pay,  but  from  love  for  their 
scholars  and  their  Saviour;  and  that  love  has 
imparted  to  their  message  a  power  all  its  own. 

5.  Self-supporting.  The  Sunday  school  has  been 
from  the  beginning  and  even  now  remains  in  large 
measure  a  self-supporting  movement.  It  every- 
where involves  expense  for  furniture,  for  teaching 
requisites,  for  song  books,  for  libraries;  but  for  the 
most  part  the  money  to  meet  these  expenses  has 
been  contributed  in  the  school,  among  its  own 
members,  and  not  by  the  church.  Instances  are 
on  record,  even,  where  the  church,  in  former  times, 
charged  and  received  rent  for  the  use  of  its  prop- 
erty by  the  Sunday  school!  Such  short-sighted 
practice  has  been  rare,  but  multitudes  of  churches 
have  found  the  Sunday  school  a  source  of  far 
greater  profit  than  expense.  In  other  words,  those 
who  have  done  the  work  of  the  school  have  also 
paid  its  bills,  and  many  families  that  have  received 
its  benefits  have  been  exempt  from  its  burdens. 


Historic  Principles  1 1 

It  is  noteworthy,  however,  that  this  condition  is 
passing  away,  that  churches  are  awakening  to  their 
responsibility  and  opportunity,  and  are  giving  to 
the  Sunday  school  that  liberal  support  which  its 
work  requires  and  deserves.  In  the  ratio  of  invest- 
ment and  return,  no  department  of  the  church 
costs  so  little  and  rewards  so  richly  as  an  efficient 
Sunday  school. 

6.  Self-governing,  As  a  result  of  being  self- 
supporting,  the  Sunday  school  has  also  been  a 
self-governing  institution.  Paying  its  own  way 
and  asking  no  favor,  it  has  been  almost  every- 
where an  independent  body,  accepting  no  outside 
authority.  It  has  grown  up  almost  unrecognized 
and  unnoticed  by  the  churches.  Fifty  years  ago 
scarcely  one  of  the  denominations,  great  or  small, 
gave  the  Sunday  school  recognition  as  an  integral 
part  of  its  system.  Little  attention  was  paid  to  it 
in  the  ruling  body  of  the  local  church.  It  chose 
its  own  officers,  obtained  its  own  teachers,  made 
its  own  rules,  and  for  its  teachings  was  responsible 
to  no  ecclesiastical  authority.  It  was  generally  an 
ally  to,  but  independent  of,  the  church.  In  this 
respect  a  gradual  change  has  taken  place.  Its 
relations  are  now  much  closer,  its  position  is  de- 
fined; and  the  institution  is  sanctioned  and  super- 
vised by  the  church. 

7.  Self-developing.  The  system  of  the  Sunday 
school  has  been  evolved  without  guidance  or  con- 
trol from  any  human  authority.  It  has  been  from 
the  first  self-organizing,  and  has  been  also  self- 
developing.  Some  might  consider  the  form  which 
it  has  taken  accidental;  but  it  is  better  to  regard 
it  as  providential.    The  men  and  women  who  laid 


12  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

the  foundations  of  the  Sunday  school  were  building 
under  a  divine  direction  of  which  they  were 
unconscious.  Working  apart  from  each  other,  on 
both  sides  of  the  sea,  and  separated  by  wilderness 
and  prairie,  everywhere  they  established  an  insti- 
tution under  the  same  general  principles,  and  with 
substantial  unity  in  its  plans.  Perhaps  one  cause 
for  its  unity  of  method  is  that  it  arose  in  the 
midst  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  race,  a  people  which 
has  instinctive  tendencies  toward  law,  system,  and 
organization.  If  it  had  started  among  a  Latin 
people,  where  men,  and  not  systems,  rule,  there 
might  have  been  a  different  form  of  organization, 
with  different  aims,  with  different  titles  for  officers, 
in  every  province.  But  throughout  the  English- 
speaking  world,  which  is  the  habitat  of  the  Sunday 
school,  the  institution  bears  the  same  name.  Its 
principal  or  conductor  is  called  a  superintendent — 
cumbrous  though  the  title  may  be — and  its  work- 
ing force  are  known  as  teachers. 

8.  Bible  Study.  The  most  prominent  trait  in  the 
Sunday  school  of  the  present  is  that  it  has  becoine 
the  most  extensive  movement  for  instruction  in 
the  Sacred  Scriptures  that  the  world  has  yet  seen. 
All  these  millions  of  members,  young  and  old,  are 
engaged  in  the  study  of  one  book — the  Holy  Bible. 
Many  of  these  millions,  indeed,  study  the  Bible 
superficially,  unintelligently,  with  narrow  inter- 
pretations and  crude  methods;  yet  in  the  Sunday 
schools  of  the  lowest  type  as  well  as  of  the  highest 
some  portion  of  the  Bible  every  week  is  brought 
to  the  scholars'  attention.  That  the  Bible  is  so 
generally  known  and  so  widely  circulated,  that  the 
demand  for  this  ancient  book  warrants  the  print- 


Historic  Principles  1 3 

ing  of  more  than  ten  million  copies  every  year,  is 
due  more  to  the  Sunday  school,  with  all  its  defects 
of  method,  than  to  any  other  institution.  This 
concentration  of  attention  upon  the  Bible  has 
grown  gradually  in  the  Sunday  school.  In  the 
eighteenth  century  Sunday  school,  both  of  England 
and  America,  religious  instruction  was  only  one  of 
its  aims;  and  it  was  instruction  in  the  catechism 
and  forms  of  worship  rather  than  in  the  Bible. 
But  by  slow  degrees  the  Bible  came  more  prom- 
inently to  the  front,  until  now  the  Sunday  school 
is  everywhere  the  school  with  one  text-book.  He 
who  surveys  the  Sunday  school  through  the  inner 
eye  beholds  it  on  one  day  in  each  week  covering 
the  continent  with  its  millions  of  students,  all 
face  to  face  with  some  portion  of  the  great  text- 
book of  religion.  The  thoughtful  observer  will 
reflect  that  a  people  whose  children  and  youth 
come  into  weekly  contact  with  the  living  word 
will  not  wander  far  from  the  path  of  righteousness. 


II 

THE  CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

The  general  characteristics  of  the  Sunday  school, 
as  they  have  gradually  developed  during  its  long 
history,  must  be  considered  in  any  plan  for  organ- 
izing and  conducting  an  individual  school.  The 
institution  should  be  studied  both  ideally  and 
practically:  practically,  to  ascertain  what  the 
Sunday  school  has  been  and  is  now;  yet  ideally, 
with  a  view  to  developing  its  highest  efficiency 
and  largest  usefulness.  Such  a  plan  for  the 
specific  Sunday  school  may  be  called  its  constitu- 
tion. It  is  desirable  to  have  the  constitution  in 
written  or  printed  form,  but  it  is  not  necessary. 
There  is  no  more  complete  system  than  the  govern- 
ment of  Great  Britain,  yet  it  has  no  written 
constitution;  and  Mr.  James  Bryce  has  shown  us 
in  America  that  the  instrument  known  as  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States  by  no  means 
represents  our  own  actual  method  of  government. 
In  every  nation  there  is  an  unwritten  law,  wrought 
out  of  a  people's  consciousness,  which  is  more 
imperative  and  enduring  than  any  parchment  scroll 
or  printed  form. 

The  general  principles  to  be  maintained  in 
establishing  and  developing  a  Sunday  school  are 
the  following: 

I .  Aim.  The  primary  aims  of  the  Sunday  school 
are  religious  instruction,  character-development, 
and  effective  service.     It  is  not  to  teach  history, 

14 


G>nstitution  of  the  Sunday  School  1 5 

nor  science,  nor  sociology,  but  religion;  and  not 
merely  to  impart  a  knowledge  of  religion  to  the 
intellect  of  its  pupils,  but,  infinitely  more  impor- 
tant, to  make  religion  an  effective  force  in  the 
life  of  the  individual  scholar.  As  a  Christian 
institution,  in  the  definition  given  by  one  of  its 
greatest  leaders,*  "The  Sunday  school  is  a  depart- 
ment of  the  Church  of  Christ,  in  which  the  word 
of  Christ  is  taught,  for  the  purpose  of  bringing 
souls  to  Christ,  and  of  building  up  souls  in  Christ." 
If  it  be  in  connection  with  a  Jewish  synagogue  or 
temple — as  are  some  of  the  best  Sunday  schools 
or  Sabbath  schools  in  our  land — it  is  for  the 
purpose  of  instruction  in  the  faith  of  the  ancient 
fathers,  and  of  making  their  teachings  live  again 
in  the  men  and  women  of  to-day.  A  true  religious 
education,  such  as  the  Sunday  school  seeks  to 
give,  will  include  three  aims:  (i)  knowledge, 
(2)  character,  (3)  service.  There  must  be  an 
intellectual  grasping  of  the  truth;  a  character 
built  on  the  truth,  out  of  faith  in  God,  and  the 
life  of  God  inspiring  the  human  soul;  and  service 
for  God  and  humanity.  The  Sunday  school  seeks 
to  develop  not  only  saints  in  fellowship  with  God, 
but  workers  for  God,  who  shall  strive  to  realize 
on  earth  the  kingdom  of  God,  not  seeking  to  be 
ministered  unto  but  to  minister.  There  have  been 
centuries  in  the  past  when  the  Christian  ideal  was 
the  cloistered  saint,  living  apart  in  communion  with 
God.  But  that  was  a  pitiably  incomplete  conception 
of  the  perfect  man.  In  our  age  we  have  the  larger 
ideal  of  saintliness  with  service;  and  to  promote 
this  should  be  the  aim  of  every  Sunday  school. 

*  Bishop  John  H.  Vincent. 


l6  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

2.  Method.  To  attain  its  aim  the  Sunday  school 
employs  the  teaching  method.  The  Sunday  school 
is  not,  as  some  weak-minded  people  have  called 
it,  *'the  nursery  of  the  church."  Nor  is  it,  as  it 
has  been  named,  "the  Bible  service";  for,  although 
it  holds  a  service,  it  is  more  than  a  service.  It 
is  not — or  should  not  be — a  gathering  of  groups, 
large  or  small,  where  silent  hearers  listen  to 
sermonettes  by  little  preachers,  miscalled  teachers. 
It  holds  a  service  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  wor- 
ship, yet  worship  is  not  its  central  purpose.  It 
should  have  music,  but  it  is  not  primarily  a  service 
of  song.  It  should  be  pervaded  by  an  atmosphere 
of  happiness,  but  mere  enjoyment  is  not  its  object. 
The  Sunday  school  is  a  school:  and  the  very 
word  shows  that  its  aim  is  instruction  and  char- 
acter formation,  and  its  method  is  that  of  teaching. 
For  the  work  of  a  Sunday  school  the  essentials 
are  three: 

(i)  There  must  be  the  living  teacher  who  is 
fitted  to  inspire,  to  instruct,  and  to  guide.  His 
part  is  not  merely  to  pour  knowledge  into  his 
pupils,  but  to  awaken  thought,  to  guide  the 
search  for  truth,  to  call  forth  expression  in  char- 
acter and  in  action.* 

(2)  There  must  also  be  the  scholar  who  is  to 
be  taught.  It  is  his  part  in  the  process  of  instruc- 
tion not  merely  to  listen  and  to  remember,  not 
merely  to  receive  impressions,  but  to  give  expres- 
sion to  the  teaching,  in  life,  in  character,  in  influ- 
ence, and  in  service.  The  true  effectiveness  of  the 
teaching  in  the  Sunday  school  will  be  shown  by 

1  For  qualifications  and  functions  of  the  teacher  see  Chapters  XIII 
and  XIV. 


Constitution  of  the  Sunday  School  1  7 

the  reproductive  power  of  the  truth  in  the  life 
of  the  scholar. 

(3)  There  must  be  a  text-book  in  the  hands 
of  both  the  teacher  and  the  pupil.  In  any  school 
for  religious  instruction  one  book  will  of  necessity 
stand  prominent,  that  great  Book  of  books  which 
records  the  divine  revelation  to  man.  The  Sunday 
school  may  teach  history,  geography,  institutions, 
doctrines,  literature  of  the  Bible,  but  these 'only 
as  a  framework  or  a  foundation  for  the  education 
of  the  heart  into  a  personal  fellowship  with  God. 
This  character-molding,  faith-impelling  force  is  the 
divine  truth  taught  in  the  Bible  through  the 
experiences  and  teachings  of  patriarchs,  prophets, 
priests,  psalmists,  sages,  and  apostles,  and  above 
all  by  the  words  and  life  and  redemptive  work  of 
the  Master  himself.  And  the  subjects  of  study  in 
the  Sunday  school  need  not  be  limited  to  the 
text  of  Scripture.  There  may  be  extra-biblical 
material  for  the  teaching  of  character  and  service; 
and  all  this  should  be  open  to  the  Sunday  school. 

3.  Relation  to  the  Church.  However  independent 
of  the  church  organization  the  Sunday  school  may 
have  been  in  its  beginnings,  and  however  self- 
dependent  some  union  Sunday  schools  may  of  neces- 
sity be  in  certain  churchless  regions,  the  general  fact 
is  established  that  the  Sunday  school  as  an  insti- 
tution belongs  to  the  church,  is  under  the  care  of 
the  church,  has  a  claim  upon  moral  and  financial 
support  by  the  church,  should  be  a  feeder  to  the 
membership  of  the  church,  and  should  gratefully  ac- 
cept the  supervision  of  the  church.  It  should  re- 
gard itself  and  be  recognized  by  all  as  in  many  ways 
the  most  important  department  of  the  church. 


1 8  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

4.  Government.  All  power  must  be  under  direc- 
tion, and  the  mighty  energies  of  the  Sunday 
school  especially  need  a  wise,  strong  guidance. 
In  the  general  management  of  the  Sunday  school 
two  elements  should  be  recognized:  (i)  the  rights 
of  the  workers  and  (2)  the  authority  of  the  church. 

(i)  It  must  ever  be  kept  in  mind  that  the 
Sunday  school  is  an  army  of  volunteers.  Its 
workers  are  men  and  women  who  of  their  own 
accord  give  to  the  school  without  compensation 
their  gift  of  service.  Those  who  make  such  a 
contribution  to  the  success  of  the  Sunday  school 
should  certainly  have  a  voice  in  its  management. 

(2)  But  it  is  not  to  be  forgotten,  on  the  other 
side,  that  the  Sunday  school  is  not  superior  to  the 
church,  nor  independent  of  it,  but  subsidiary  to 
it;  hence  the  church  should  be  able  to  exercise 
some  control  over  the  school  if  such  control  shall 
ever  be  needed.  For  example,  in  the  choice  of  a 
superintendent,  who  is  the  executive  officer  of  the 
school,  the  ruling  body  of  the  local  church  and 
the  working  body  of  teachers  and  officers  should 
unite.  No  one  should  undertake  to  conduct  a 
church  Sunday  school  unless  he  thus  has  the 
definite  assurance  that  his  teachers  are  with  him, 
and  that  his  church  is  officially  supporting  him. 

5.  Officers.  Little  need  be  said  here  on  this 
subject,  for  it  is  one  with  which  every  worker  is 
familiar. 

(i)  There  must  be  a  leader,  or  manager,  the 
executive  head  of  the  school,  who  is  universally 
styled  the  superintendent.  If  we  were  organizing 
a  new  institution,  and  not  describing  one  already 
world-wide  and  with  officers  already  named  by 


Constitution  of  the  Sunday  School  1 9 

common  usage  and  consent,  we  would  prefer  that 
the  executive  of  the  Sunday  school  receive  the 
title  of  Principal  or  Director;  but  the  somewhat 
awlrw-ard  word  Superintendent  is  settled  upon  him, 
and  will  remain. 

(2)  There  must  also  be  an  assistant  superin- 
tendent, or  more  than  one,  as  the  size  of  the 
school  may  demand.  The  better  title  is  associate 
superintendent,  as  is  now  given  in  the  larger 
number  of  well-organized  schools.  The  superin- 
tendent should  have  the  pri\'ilege  of  nominating 
his  own  associates  or  assistants,  the  nominations 
to  be  confirmed  by  the  board  of  teachers  and 
officers. 

(3)  There  will  be  a  secretary-,  with  such  assist- 
ants as  he  may  require,  to  be  nominated  by  the 
secretary'  and  confirmed  by  the  teachers. 

(4)  There  will  be  a  treasurer,  to  care  for  the 
funds,  and  to  disburse  them  as  ordered  by  the 
board  of  teachers,  or  the  Sunday  school  as  a  whole. 

(5)  Lastly,  but  most  important  of  all.  there  must 
be  the  working  force  of  instructors,  the  faculty  of 
the  institution,  its  teachers,  who  should  be  care- 
fully chosen.  The  pastor,  as  well  as  the  superin- 
tendent, should  have  an  active  voice  in  their  call, 
since  they  are  his  coworkers  in  the  religious 
instruction  of  the  congregation. 

6.  Membership.  In  the  conception  of  a  Sunday 
school,  both  ideal  and  practical,  the  constituency 
for  which  it  is  established  must  be  considered. 
As  has  been  noted,  it  was  originally  for  children 
only,  and  only  for  children  who  were  destitute  of 
home  training,  and  outside  of  church  relationship. 
The  earliest  Sunday  schools  were  what  are  called 


20  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

in  England  ragged  schools,  and  in  America  mission 
schools.  But  in  the  noble  evolution  of  the  move- 
ment the  Sunday  school  constituency  has  been 
vastly  enlarged;  and  now  it  is  recognized  that  the 
Sunday  school  is  for  all  ages  and  all  classes.  It 
should  embrace  the  young  and  old,  the  ignorant 
and  intelligent,  the  poor  and  rich,  the  sinner  as 
well  as  the  saint.  The  Sunday  school  which  ful- 
fills its  mission  to  society  will  welcome  all  the  world. 


Ill 


THE  NECESSITY  AND  ESSENTIALS  OF  A 
GRADED  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

I.  The  Necessity  of  Grading.  As  the  result  of 
the  gradual  and  unguided  evolution  of  the  Sunday 
school  through  a  century  or  longer,  most  schools 
are  now  divided  in  a  vague  way  into  certain 
departments,  generally  known  as  the  Primary,  or 
Infant  Class;  the  Youths  Department,  or  Boys 
and  Girls;  and  the  Adult  Department,  or  Bible 
Classes.  Many  who  have  charge  of  schools  such 
as  these  regard  them  as  graded,  and  so  report 
them.  But  the  mere  naming  of  departments  does 
not  constitute  a  graded  school.  Whoever  studies 
the  ungraded  or  loosely  graded  Sunday  school  will 
perceive  in  it  certain  evils  which  can  be  removed 
only  by  a  thorough  system  of  grading,  maintained 
faithfully  through  a  series  of  years.  Some  of  these 
conditions  which  make  the  graded  Sunday  school 
an  absolute  necessity  are  the  following: 

(i)  The  School  as  a  Whole.  The  close  observer, 
looking  at  the  entire  school,  notes  first  of  all  that 
its  gains  and  its  losses  in  membership  are  at  the 
extremes  of  its  constituency.  It  is  the  normal 
condition  for  the  gains  to  come  in  the  Primary 
section;  for  the  little  children  in  families  are 
attracted  to  the  school  or  brought  there  by  older 
children.  There  is  almost  invariably  a  constant 
increase  in  this  department,  requiring  frequently 
the  organization  of  new  classes  in  the  grade  above, 

21 


22  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

among  the  younger  boys  and  girls.  But,  on  the 
other  hand,  there  is  a  constant  loss  of  older  scholars. 
In  most  schools,  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  in  what 
is  known  as  the  early  adolescent  period  of  life, 
the  pupils,  for  one  reason  or  another,  begin  to 
drop  out,  and  few  enter  to  take  their  places. 
Almost  every  school  is  thus  growing  at  the  bottom 
and  dying  at  the  top.  The  Primary  classes  are 
full,  but  the  classes  of  those  above  fourteen  years 
are  usually  small — two  large  boys  here,  three 
yonder.  And  although  girls  continue  in  the  school 
more  frequently  than  boys,  there  will  appear  the 
same  conditions — some  large  classes  of  girls  and 
young  women,  but  others  where  discouraged 
teachers  are  sitting  down  with  one,  two,  or  three 
pupils.  Six  or  eight  years  ago  these  same  classes 
came  out  from  the  Primary  Department,  each 
with  eight  or  ten  pupils;  now  they  are  mere 
skeleton  classes,  barely  alive,  and  threatened  with 
dissolution.  Every  earnest,  thoughtful  superin- 
tendent would  rejoice  to  find  some  plan  that  will 
guarantee  large  classes  of  young  people  between 
sixteen  and  eighteen  years  of  age,  for  this  is  the 
most  vital  period  in  the  life  of  the  individual. 
Such  a  plan  is  proposed  in  the  graded  system. 

(2)  The  Condition  of  the  Classes.  Fixing  the 
attention  upon  the  several  classes,  the  critic  of  the 
school  system  notes  three  unfavorable  conditions: 

(a)  There  is  the  inequality  in  the  size  of  classes, 
to  which  reference  has  already  been  made.  When 
classes  come  together  by  accident,  pupils  bringing 
their  friends,  or  new  members  joining  whatever 
classes  they  please,  some  classes  of  boys  or  girls 
will  inevitably  be  too  large  for  good  government 


Necessity  of  a  Graded  School  23 

or  good  teaching,  and  others  will  be  too  small 
to  create  any  enthusiasm,  either  in  the  teacher  or 
the  pupils. 

(b)  There  is  also  an  inequality  in  the  ages  of 
pupils  in  the  same  class.  A  class  may  include 
one  pupil  or  two  pupils  sixteen  years  old,  and 
others  as  young  as  ten,  or  even  nine  years;  some 
who  during  the  week  are  in  the  high  school,  and 
others  who  can  scarcely  read  the  verses  assigned 
to  them. 

(c)  Where  these  inequalities  of  numbers  and 
ages  exist  there  is  a  lack  of  that  class  spirit  which 
is  an  essential  element  of  power  in  a  well-ordered 
Sunday  school.  Every  class  should  be  a  unit, 
with  a  strong  social  bond;  but  this  ideal  cannot 
be  realized  when  there  are  in  the  class  two  or 
three  youths  in  the  noisy,  assertive,  self-conscious 
stage  of  early  adolescence,  and  others  who  are 
several  years  younger.  Nor  can  there  be  a  proper 
social  bond  in  a  class  with  only  two  or  three 
members.  They  are  likely  to  be  irregular  in 
attendance,  to  find  excuses  for  absence  or  for 
leaving  the  school,  until  at  last  the  discouraged 
teacher  and  the  listless  scholars  together  drop  out 
of  sight. 

For  the  correction  of  these  evils  of  inequality  in 
numbers  and  in  ages,  and  of  this  lack  of  class 
spirit,  the  only  successful  method  is  to  grade  the 
school,  and  resolutely  to  keep  it  graded. 

(3)  Difficulties  of  Administration.  The  diffi- 
culties which  confront  the  superintendent  in  the 
management  of  an  ungraded  school  are  many  and 
great. 

(a)  The  first  and  ever-present  difficulty  is  in 


24  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

obtaining  teachers  for  new  classes.  The  constant 
growth  of  the  Primary  Department  is  his  perennial 
perplexity.  To  relieve  the  congestion  in  the 
crowded  Infant  Class  its  older  pupils  must  be 
brought  into  the  main  school,  and  teachers  must 
be  found  for  them.  The  superintendent  is  always 
seeking,  and  often  seeking  vainly,  for  new  teachers. 

(b)  Another  difficulty  is  found  in  the  attempt 
to  transfer  scholars  from  one  class  to  another. 
No  matter  how  much  out  of  place  a  pupil  may  be, 
it  is  almost  impossible  to  transfer  him  to  another 
class  without  incurring  the  displeasure  of  the 
teacher,  the  scholar,  or  the  scholar's  family.  And 
however  overgrown  or  ill-assorted  a  class  may 
have  become,  to  divide  it  is  a  delicate  task,  almost 
sure  to  cause  ill  feeling.  Also,  when  there  arises 
the  need  of  a  teacher  for  a  new  class  just  emerg- 
ing from  the  Primary  Department,  the  natural 
plan  would  be  to  combine  some  of  the  skeleton 
classes  in  the  other  departments,  and  thereby  re- 
lease a  teacher  for  service  with  the  new  class. 
But  the  superintendent  who  attempts  this  plan 
finds  that  almost  invariably  it  results  in  some  of 
the  older  scholars  leaving  the  school  because  their 
teacher  is  taken  from  them. 

2.  The  Essentials  of  a  Graded  School.  Briefly 
stated,  the  essentials  of  a  graded  Sunday  school 
are  the  following:* 

(i)  Departments.  The  graded  Sunday  school  is 
organized  in  certain  distinct  groups,  of  which  the 
most  important,  for  our  present  purpose,  are  the 
Primary,  Junior,  Intermediate,  and  Senior  Depart- 

1  For  a  more  complete  statement,  see  the  volume  of  this  series  on 
The  Graded  Sunday  School  in  Principle  and  Practice,  by  Dr.  H.  H. 
Meyer. 


Necessity  of  a  Graded  School 


25 


ments.  To  these  will  be  added  the  Beginners  and 
Adult  Departments  when  the  subject  comes  up 
for  a  complete  treatment.  Each  of  these  depart- 
ments should  have,  if  possible,  a  separate  room; 
but  if  these  rooms  cannot  be  provided  in  the 
building,  the  pupils  should  be  seated  by  depart- 
ments in  the  different  parts  of  the  one  room. 
Perhaps  it  may  be  assumed  that  there  is  a  separate 
room  for  the  Primary  Department;  then  let  those 
who  have  most  recently  come  from  the  Primary 
be  seated  on  the  right  block  of  seats;  the  Youths 
or  Intermediate  in  the  middle;  and  the  Senior 
classes  on  the  left  block,  or  vice  versa.  The 
younger  classes  of  the  department  should  have 
the  front  seats,  the  older  those  in  the  rear,  in 
regular  gradation.  The  school  may  be  arranged  in 
the  order  shown  in  this  diagram : 


Older 

Fourth  Year 

Fourth  Year 

Older 

Third  Year 

Third  Year 

Young  Women 

Second  Year 

Second  Year 

Young  Men 

First  Year 

First  Year 

SENIORS 

INTERMEDIATES 

JUNIORS 

PLATFORM 

26  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

(2)  Classes.  The  number  of  classes  should  be 
fixed  for  each  department,  and  their  relationship 
established,  so  that  when  a  group  of  scholars  is 
promoted  to  a  higher  grade  in  the  same  depart- 
ment, or  in  the  next  department,  they  do  not 
enter  as  classes,  but  as  individuals;  not  to  form 
new  classes  in  the  department,  but  to  be  placed 
in  classes  already  formed.  This  plan  will  keep 
the  classes  in  the  Senior  Department  always  full, 
and  avoid  the  unfortunate  skeleton  classes  of  the 
ungraded  school.  It  will  also  impress  upon  the 
pupils  the  importance  of  faithful  work. 

(3)  Promotions.  There  should  be  annual  and 
simultaneous  promotions  throughout  the  school. 
One  Sunday  in  the  year  should  be  set  apart  as 
Promotion  Sunday;  and  on  that  day  all  promo- 
tions should  be  made.  Those  who  are  to  be 
advanced  from  the  Intermediate  to  the  Senior 
Department  are  called  out  by  name  and  placed 
in  their  classes,  which  are  not  new  classes,  but  old 
classes  replenished  with  new  members.  These  pro- 
motions will  vacate  the  seats  of  the  Fourth  Year 
classes  in  the  Intermediate  Department.  But  these 
seats  will  at  once  be  filled  by  the  Third  Year  now 
becoming  the  Fourth  Year,  and  taking  their  seats; 
the  Second  Year  pupils  becoming  the  Third  Year; 
and  the  First  Year  the  Second  Year.  The  First 
Year  of  the  Intermediate  Department  will  be  left 
vacant,  to  be  filled  by  promotion  of  the  Fourth 
Year  in  the  Junior  Department,  and  the  moving 
up  of  classes  to  the  year  above  in  the  same  depart- 
ment; and  the  First  Year  of  the  Junior  Department 
will  be  filled  by  promotion  from  the  Primary 
Department. 


Necessi^  of  a  Graded  School  27 

(4)  Teachers.  As  groups  of  scholars  pass  either 
from  one  grade  or  from  one  department  to  another 
there  must  also  be  a  change  of  teachers.  This 
constitutes  the  crux  of  the  entire  system,  and  in 
its  inception  is  apt  to  prove  the  most  formidable 
obstacle  in  grading  the  school.  The  pupils,  how- 
ever, are  accustomed  to  a  system  of  promotions 
in  the  day  school,  and  expect  to  leave  their 
teachers  when  they  change  their  grades;  but  many 
of  the  teachers  in  the  Sunday  school,  not  being 
trained  under  the  system,  dislike  to  lose  their 
scholars,  and  show  their  dissatisfaction  in  ways 
that  affect  their  pupils.  This  difficulty  must  be 
overcome  by  tact  and  an  appeal  to  unselfish 
motives;  teachers  must  consent  for  the  sake  of 
the  common  good  to  give  up  their  old  classes  and 
take  new  ones  which  begin  in  the  department. 
The  teacher  may  remain  in  the  grade  and  receive 
a  new  class  each  year  as  his  pupils  advance  to  a 
higher  grade;  or  he  may  remain  with  the  class  and 
advance  until  the  pupils  pass  from  their  former 
department  to  a  higher  one,  as  from  Primary  to 
Junior,  from  Junior  to  Intermediate,  and  from 
Intermediate  to  Senior.  He  should  then  return  to 
a  new  first  year's  class  in  his  own  department  and 
lead  it  through  the  course.  If  any  teacher  asks, 
**Why  cannot  I  go  with  my  class  into  the  Senior 
Department?"  the  answer  is  that  if  the  plan  be 
permitted  for  one  it  must  be  recognized  for  all; 
and  in  the  Senior  Department  there  will  follow 
an  increasing  number  of  classes,  with  a  relatively 
diminishing  membership  in  each  class.  The  scholars 
also  need  the  inspiration  of  contact  with  different 
teachers.    Furthermore,  the  teacher  who  is  adapted 


28  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

to  the  Junior  or  Intermediate  Department  is  rarely 
a  suitable  teacher  for  Senior  scholars.  Hence 
there  is  need  of  a  careful  assignment  of  teachers 
no  less  than  of  pupils.  Therefore,  to  maintain  a 
graded  school  the  pupils  must  change  teachers 
when  they  change  departments. 

(5)  Lessons.  There  should  be  graded  lessons 
for  each  department.  If  a  graded  system  be 
followed  in  the  school,  as  it  should  be,  with  dif- 
ferent subjects,  text-books,  and  lessons  for  each 
department,  giving  to  the  entire  school  a  regular, 
systematic,  progressive  curriculum,  this  requisite 
will  be  met.  If,  however,  the  uniform  lesson  for 
all  the  school  be  followed,  as  at  present  is  still 
the  case  in  many  Sunday  schools,  the  graded 
teaching  must  be  given  in  the  form  of  supplemental 
lessons,  taught  by  the  head  of  the  department 
where  it  has  a  separate  room,  or  by  the  teacher 
if  the  departments  must  be  assembled  in  one 
room.  In  some  form  the  graded  teaching  is  an 
absolutely  essential  requisite  of  the  graded  school. 
Most  schools,  when  once  thoroughly  graded,  will 
realize  the  need  of  the  next  step  in  the  evolution 
of  the  institution — lessons  graded  in  subjects  as 
well  as  in  methods  for  the  several  departments. 

(6)  Basis  of  Promotion.  The  question  is  often 
asked,  "Should  promotions  be  made  on  the  basis 
of  age,  or  as  the  result  of  examinations?"  The 
examination  system  may  be  regarded  as  desirable 
in  the  Sunday  school,  but  there  are  as  yet  few 
schools  where  thorough  examinations  can  be  rigidly 
insisted  on  as  a  part  of  the  school  system,  and 
promotions  invariably  made  to  depend  upon  stand- 
ing.    A  school  which  meets  only  once  a  week, 


Necessity  of  a  Graded  School  29 

for  a  session  of  less  than  an  hour  and  a  half,  and 
with  but  one  lesson  period  of  forty  minutes  or 
even  less,  cannot  maintain  the  same  strictness  in 
its  standards  as  the  public  school.  Moreover,  new 
scholars^are  continually  entering  the  schools,  and, 
while  most  of  them  begin  at  the  foot  of  the  ladder 
in  the  Primary  Department,  yet  others  enter  at 
various  ages  and  in  various  grades.  Any  system 
of  promotion  based  merely  upon  acquirement 
attested  by  examination  is  sure  to  become  in 
many  instances  a  meaningless  form  when  applied 
to  the  Sunday  school.  Yet  acquirements  and 
examinations  need  not  be  ignored  in  the  graded 
Sunday  school.  There  may  be  certain  ages  at 
which  the  pupils  shall  by  right  pass  from  a  lower 
grade  to  a  higher.  But  it  may  also  be  arranged 
that  pupils  who  are  exceptionally  bright,  well- 
informed,  and  studious  can  be  promoted  a  year 
in  advance  of  their  classmates  by  passing  exam- 
ination. Let  the  examination  be  given  in  writing 
to  all  the  pupils,  and  let  all  be  urged  to  take  it; 
with  the  promise  that  those  who  pass  will  be 
promoted,  even  though  they  be  less  than  the 
required  age.  But  let  it  also  be  understood  that 
failure  to  pass  the  examination  will  not  keep  the 
student  for  more  than  one  year  from  promotion. 
In  other  words,  the  examination  may  well  be 
made  the  door  through  which  earnest  students 
may  pass  on,  and  so  keep  abreast  of  their  equals 
in  training  and  ability. 


IV 

THE  GRADING  OF  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

The  question  is  often  asked,  "How  may  an 
ungraded  Sunday  school  be  placed  on  a  graded 
basis?"  The  work  may  seem  simple,  and  easy  of 
accomplishment,  but  when  it  is  undertaken  diffi- 
culties arise  which  must  be  intelligently  and  tact- 
fully met. 

I.  The  Difficulties.  If  all  our  Sunday-school 
teachers  were  trained  educators,  accustomed  to  the 
methods  of  the  public  school,  they  would  see  at 
once  the  advantages  of  the  graded  system,  and 
heartily  enter  into  it.  But  most  of  our  teachers 
are  untrained,  and  their  range  of  vision  often  fails 
to  reach  beyond  their  own  class  and  their  imme- 
diate environment.  The  relation  between  teachers 
and  scholars  is  personal  rather  than  official;  and 
on  both  sides  the  personal  equation  often  com- 
plicates the  problem.  In  every  school  there  are  a 
few  teachers  who  are  so  strongly  influenced  by 
their  feeling  for  their  pupils  that  they  fail  to 
recognize  the  needs  of  the  school.  There  are  also 
scholars,  especially  in  the  sentimental  early  adoles- 
cent age,  who  are  unwilling  to  leave  their  teachers 
when  promotion  is  offered  to  them.  But  unless 
the  change  of  teachers  is  maintained  the  graded 
system  will  utterly  fail  to  benefit  the  school; 
it  will  be  graded  in  name  only,  and  not  in 
fact.  This  part  of  the  program  must  be  carried 
through,    even    though   it    may    cost   the    school 

30 


The  Grading  of  the  School  3 1 

the  loss   of  a  teacher  or  two  teachers  and  their 
scholars. 

2.  The  Remedy  for  this  difficulty  is  only  to  be 
found  in  carefully  considered  action  by  presenting 
the  necessity  and  value  of  the  plan  so  clearly  that 
the  teachers  as  a  whole  will  fully  understand  it, 
appreciate  its  importance,  and  heartily  accept  it. 
The  grading  should  not  be  attempted  upon  the 
mere  fiat  of  the  superintendent,  nor  on  the  vote 
of  a  bare  majority  of  the  workers.  The  teachers 
must  recognize  the  self-sacrifice  which  it  requires, 
and  must  make  that  self-sacrifice  generously,  giving 
up  their  scholars  for  the  general  good.  The  possible 
objections  of  the  scholars  are  more  easily  over- 
come, for  they  are  accustomed  in  the  public 
schools  to  promotions  with  change  of  teachers, 
and  readily  accommodate  themselves  to  the  same 
system  in  the  Sunday  school.  Thoughtfulness  and 
kindness,  with  time,  will  soon  remove  the  hin- 
drances from  the  path  of  the  graded  school. 

3.  The  Method  of  Grading.  The  school  may  be 
graded  in  either  of  two  ways,  the  gradual  or  the 
simultaneous  method. 

(i)  In  the  gradual  method  the  superintendent, 
with  the  concurrence  of  the  teachers,  may  an- 
nounce that  after  a  certain  date  all  promotions 
will  be  made  in  accordance  with  the  graded  system, 
leaving  the  classes  as  they  are  until  the  time  for 
promotion  arrives.  Then  promote  from  Primary  to 
Junior,  from  Junior  to  Intermediate,  and  from 
Intermediate  to  Senior,  according  to  the  principles 
of  the  graded  school;  and  in  four  or  five  years, 
if  the  system  be  maintained,  the  result  will  be  a 
school  fully  graded  in  all  its  departments. 


32  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

(2)  In  the  simultaneous  method  of  grading,  the 
plan  must  be  carefully  matured,  and  general 
cooperation  of  all  assured.  The  following  plan  has 
been  tested  in  more  than  one  school,  and  found 
to  work  successfully: 

(a)  Let  a  careful  committee  be  chosen  to  arrange 
the  details  of  grading.  The  committee  should 
consist  of  teachers  acquainted  with  the  scholars 
as  far  as  may  be  practicable,  and  should,  of  course, 
include  the  superintendent.  They  should  also  take 
an  abundance  of  time  for  their  work. 

(b)  Obtain  the  ages  of  all  the  scholars  between 
eight  and  eighteen  years  of  age,  and,  approx- 
imatively,  the  ages  up  to  thirty.  Let  this  list  be 
made  quietly  by  each  teacher  for  his  or  her  own 
class.  It  may  be  desirable  not  to  inform  the  pupils 
for  what  purpose  the  enrollment  is  made.  In- 
stances have  been  known  where  scholars  have 
understated  their  ages,  hoping  thereby  to  remain 
with  favorite  teachers. 

(c)  Let  the  committee  go  over  the  lists  and 
assign  the  scholars  to  classes  according  to  age  and 
acquirement.  In  some  degree  social  relations 
should  be  considered,  so  that  each  class  may  be 
as  far  as  practicable  a  social  unit.  In  the  Inter- 
mediate Department  boys  and  girls  should  be  in 
separate  classes,  and  not  more  than  six  or  eight 
pupils  should  be  placed  in  one  class.  No  announce- 
ment of  the  assignment  of  scholars  to  classes 
should  be  made  until  the  day  fixed  for  the  reorgan- 
ization of  the  school.  It  will  be  a  good  plan  to 
prepare  a  map  or  chart  of  the  schoolroom,  with 
the  place  proposed  for  each  class  indicated  upon  it. 

(d)  On  the  day  appointed,  after  the  opening 


The  Grading  of  the  School  33 

exercises,  first  let  the  seats  or  rooms  set  apart 
for  the  Senior  Department  be  vacated;  and  then 
let  the  roll  be   called  according  to  the  new  list. 

"Class   No.    I,    Senior  Department.     Mr.   A , 

with  the  following  scholars."  As  their  names  are 
called  let  them  take  their  places,  until  the  list 
of  classes  and  scholars  in  this  department  is  filled. 
Next  vacate  the  seats  assigned  to  the  Intermediate 
Department,  and  let  these  teachers  and  pupils 
take  their  places;  then  the  Junior  Department, 
according  to  the  same  plan.  The  Primary  Depart- 
ment can  be  graded  by  its  superintendent  or 
teacher  without  aid  from  the  committee. 

Let  it  be  understood  that  every  scholar  must 
take  the  place  assigned  to  him  at  the  time  when 
his  name  is  called ;  and  that  only  for  an  important 
reason  can  an  assignment,  when  once  made,  be 
changed.  In  a  large  school  there  will  be  foimd 
a  few  cases  where  the  committee  has  made  a  mis- 
take, even  with  the  greatest  care;  and  these  mis- 
takes should  be  rectified,  but  not  imtil  the  pupils 
have  taken  their  new  places  temporarily  in  the 
scheme  of  the  school. 

4.  Advantages  of  Thorough  Grading.  Many 
benefits  will  follow  from  the  proper  organization 
of  the  school;  and  their  value  will  be  increasingly 
apparent  as  the  system  is  maintained  through  a 
series  of  years. 

(i)  Appearance.  It  is  the  testimony  of  every 
superintendent  and  pastor  who  has  graded  his 
Sunday  school  that  the  appearance  of  the  school 
is  greatly  improved  by  the  graded  system.  The 
older  scholars  are  assembled  in  one  body,  instead 
of  being  scattered  throughout  the  room;  scholars 


34  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

of  the  same  size  and  age  are  brought  together  in 
classes.  The  school  will  also  actually  seem  larger 
than  it  was  before  the  grading. 

{2)  Order.  The  order  of  the  school  will  be 
more  easily  maintained.  The  big  boys  and  the 
giggling  girls,  both  at  the  self-conscious,  awkward 
age,  will  be  in  a  new  environment,  no  longer  the 
leaders  over  smaller  and  younger  pupils,  but  in 
classes  by  themselves,  and  with  responsibilities 
appealing  to  their  self-respect. 

(3)  Social  Relations.  It  will  be  a  benefit  to 
the  scholars  of  each  age  to  be  associated  in  groups 
of  the  same  period  in  life,  with  the  same  interests 
and  similar  mental  acquirements.  Many  scholars 
will  find  their  new  associations  more  congenial 
than  their  former  ones  in  the  ungraded  classes, 
where  older  and  younger  people  have  been  brought 
together.  The  class  will  now  become,  far  more 
than  it  was  before,  a  social  power. 

(4)  Teaching  Work.  In  the  ungraded  class,  with 
older  and  younger  pupils  together,  the  teacher 
met  with  his  greatest  difficulty  in  finding  a  com- 
mon ground  of  interest.  In  the  graded  class,  with 
pupils  of  uniform  age  and  equal  intellectual  under- 
standing, the  teaching  can  be  better  adapted  to 
the  needs  of  the  pupils. 

(5)  Incentive  to  Interest.  The  prospect  of  pro- 
motion awakens  an  interest  in  the  classes.  Each 
scholar  looks  forward  to  the  time  when  he  will 
attain  to  a  higher  grade  with  its  enlarged  priv- 
ileges. 

(6)  Obtaining  Teachers.  The  grading  of  the 
school  greatly  aids  in  the  solution  of  the  ever- 
present  problem  of  obtaining  new  teachers,  (a)  The 


The  Grading  of  the  School  35 

graded  school  requires  a  smaller  number  of  teachers 
than  the  ungraded  school,  since  it  provides  for 
the  consolidation  of  skeleton  classes  in  the  Senior 
Department.  This  sets  at  liberty  a  number  of 
experienced  teachers  for  service  in  other  grades, 
(b)  Whenever  a  new  class  comes  from  the  Primary 
Department,  a  teacher  is  already  at  hand  in  the 
Junior  Department  whose  class  at  the  same  time 
has  advanced  to  the  Intermediate  Department. 
The  teacher  goes  year  by  year  with  his  class  until 
it  leaves  the  department,  and  then  he  returns  to 
a  new  class  beginning  the  studies  of  the  same 
department.  (c)  After  the  results  of  a  teacher- 
training  class  are  available  there  will  always  be 
trained  teachers  waiting  for  classes. 

(7)  Leakage  Period.  The  young  people  between 
fifteen  and  twenty  years  of  age  constitute  the 
"leakage  period,"^  when  they  are  in  great  danger 
of  drifting  away  from  the  school.  They  will  be 
held  to  the  school  far  more  firmly  if  they  have 
before  them  the  prospect  of  membership  in  large 
classes  of  young  people,  with  social  opportunities, 
and  club  life,  so  popular  with  youth  at  the  early 
adolescent  age.  It  has  been  clearly  shown  by 
practical  experience  that  an  organized  Senior 
Department,  with  large  classes  kept  full  by  regular 
reinforcement  from  the  Intermediate  Department, 
will  maintain  itself  and  hold  its  members,  while 
skeleton  classes  of  the  young  people  constantly 
tend  to  disintegration. 

The  well-organized,  completely  graded  Sunday 
school  possesses  such  evident  and  great  advan- 
^ges  that  it  is  certain  to  be  established  wherever 

*  Dr.  A.  H.  Mc Kinney,  in  After  the  Primary — What? 


36  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

thorough  and  efficient  religious  instruction  is 
sought.  The  sooner  it  comes,  and  the  more 
faithfully  it  is  maintained,  the  better  it  will  be 
for  the  church  of  to-day  and  to-morrow,  and  the 
more  quickly  and  effectually  will  the  grave  prob- 
lems of  our  modem  civilization  be  solved. 


V 


THE    DEPARTMENTS  OF  THE  GRADED   SUNDAY 

SCHOOL 

General  Scheme.  The  four  departments  essential 
to  a  graded  Sunday  school,  whether  large  or 
small,  have  already  been  named  by  anticipation. 
But  it  is  necessary  to  give  to  the  subject  a  closer 
consideration,  and  to  add  the  names  of  other 
departments  which  are  needed  either  as  depart- 
ments or  subdivisions  in  the  school.  Following  the 
analogy  of  the  secular  schools,  the  great  divisions 
of  a  Sunday  school  may  be  named  as  Elementary, 
Secondary,  and  Advanced  or  Adult.  The  Elemen- 
tary Division  will  include  the  Cradle  Roll,  Begin- 
ners, Primary,  and  Junior,  taking  the  scholar  up 
to  twelve  years  of  age.  The  Secondary  Division 
will  include  the  Intermediate  and  Senior  Depart- 
ments, also  the  Teacher-training  Class,  and  will 
embrace  the  scholars  between  twelve  and  twenty 
years  of  age.  The  Advanced  or  Adult  Division 
will  include  all  the  classes  wherein  the  average  age 
is  above  twenty  years,  including  the  Home  Depart- 
ment. Beginning  with  the  youngest  children,  the 
departments  of  a  thoroughly  organized  school  are 
the  following: 

I.  The  Cradle  Roll.*  This  should  include  all  the 
little  ones  in  the  families  of  the  congregation  who 
are  too  young  to  attend  the  school.    Their  names, 


*  This  department  is  now  named  in  Sunday  schools  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church,  and  some  others,  the  Font  Roll,  or  Baptismal  Roll. 

37 


38  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

in  large  lettering,  in  plain  print  rather  than  script, 
should  be  recorded  upon  a  list,  framed  and  hung 
upon  the  wall  in  the  Primary  room.  A  separate 
card  catalogue  should  be  kept  of  the  names  alpha- 
betically arranged,  with  ages,  birthdays,  parents' 
names,  and  the  street  address  of  each  family. 
Every  effort  should  be  made  to  keep  the  list 
complete;  children  should  inform  their  teachers  of 
new  little  brothers  and  sisters  for  the  Cradle  Roll ; 
the  pastor  in  his  visitation  should  take  their 
names  and  report  them;  and  the  teacher  or  con- 
ductor in  charge  of  the  Cradle  Roll  should  occa- 
sionally visit  every  family  on  the  list.  Whenever 
gifts  are  made  to  the  pupils  of  the  school,  as  at 
Christmas  or  on  birthdays,  toys  and  dolls  for  the 
little  ones  of  the  Cradle  Roll  should  not  be  for- 
gotten. In  a  small  school  the  care  of  the  roll  and 
the  visiting  of  the  families  may  be  assigned  to  the 
Primary  superintendent;  but  in  a  large  Sunday 
school  it  will  call  for  a  special  conductor,  and 
recognition  as  a  separate  department.  Let  no 
one  suppose  that  this  is  an  unimportant,  senti- 
mental matter.  The  Cradle  Roll,  maintained  as 
it  should  be,  will  awaken  interest  in  every 
family  having  a  name  inscribed  upon  it,  and 
in  due  time  will  lead  many  little  feet  to  the 
Sunday  school. 

2.  The  Beginners  Department.  At  about  three 
years  of  age  the  little  children  should  be  brought 
to  the  school,  and  be  regularly  enrolled  as  attend- 
ing members,  their  names  being  now  taken  from 
the  Cradle  Roll.  They  should  remain  in  the 
Beginners  Department  from  the  age  of  three  to 
that  of  six  years — the  Kindergarten  period  in  the 


Departments  of  the  Graded  School  39 

public  school.  Here  they  should  be  told  simple 
Bible  and  nature  stories,  without  effort  to  place 
the  stories  in  chronological  order;  for  children  of 
this  age  have  only  a  faint  conception  of  the  se- 
quence of  events.  They  may  be  taught  simple 
songs,  marching  exercises,  etc.  It  is  a  mistake, 
however,  to  give  them  much,  if  any  lessons,  to 
tax  the  memory,  beyond  a  few  short  sentences  of 
the  Bible  and  verses  of  children's  songs.  If  they 
can  meet  in  a  room  by  themselves,  with  their  own 
teacher,  it  will  be  better  than  to  have  them  in 
the  Primary  room;  for  the  work  in  this  grade 
should  be  constantly  varied,  and  the  stories  very 
brief,  in  order  not  to  weary  the  little  ones.  If 
they  must  meet  in  the  room  with  the  Primary 
children,  they  should  sit  by  themselves  as  a 
separate  section,  and  not  with  their  older  brothers 
and  sisters. 

3.  The  Primary  Department.  This  department 
should  be  the  home  of  little  children  between 
six  and  eight  or  nine  years  of  age.  They  should 
remain  in  it  until  in  the  day  school  they  have 
begun  to  read.  Boys  and  girls  may  be  placed  in 
the  same  classes,  which  should  be  for  those  six 
years  old,  seven  years  old,  and  eight  years  old, 
respectively.  With  each  year  their  seats  should 
be  changed,  indicating  their  promotion  from  the 
lower  to  the  higher  classes.  In  this  department 
the  simpler  stories  of  the  Bible  and  other  helpful 
stories  adapted  to  the  grade  should  not  only  be 
told  but  taught,  and  the  children  expected  not 
only  to  learn  but  also  to  tell  them.  The  Twenty- 
third  Psalm,  the  Lord's  Prayer,  the  Ten  Command- 
ments, a  few  other  selected  passages  of  Scripture, 


40  Organizing  the   Sunday  School 

and  some  standard  hymns  of  the  Church  should 
be  memorized. 

In  many  well-organized  Sunday  schools  both 
the  Cradle  Roll  and  the  Beginners  class  are  recog- 
nized as  subdivisions  of  the  Primary  Depart- 
ment, and  are  under  the  direction  of  the  Primary 
superintendent. 

4.  The  Junior  Department.  This  department  will 
care  for  the  children  from  the  ages  of  eight  or 
nine  until  the  full  age  of  twelve;  except  that  boys 
or  girls  who  are  especially  advanced  in  intelligence 
may  be  promoted  upon  examination  at  eleven 
years.  In  a  very  small  Sunday  school  all  the 
pupils  of  this  department  may  form  one  class, 
provided  they  can  have  a  room  by  themselves. 
If  they  must  meet  with  the  rest  of  the  school, 
they  may  be  organized  either  in  two  classes,  one 
of  boys,  the  other  of  girls.  If,  however,  the  num- 
ber of  scholars  will  admit,  it  is  far  better  to  place 
the  pupils  in  separate  classes  for  boys  and  girls, 
with  different  classes  for  each  year  of  the  period. 
To  scholars  of  the  Junior  grade  the  great  char- 
acters and  events  of  Bible  history  should  be 
taught  in  their  order;  also  the  most  important 
facts  about  the  Bible,  and  in  a  simple  form  the 
lands  and  localities  of  the  Bible.  In  churches 
which  use  a  catechism  this  should  constitute  a 
part  of  the  teaching  in  the  Junior  Department, 
for  at  this  period  the  child's  verbal  memory  attains 
its  greatest  strength. 

5.  The  Intermediate  Department.  Here  the 
pupils  are  from  twelve  to  sixteen  years  of  age. 
The  classes  should  be  small,  generally  of  six  boys 
or  girls,  never  more  than  eight.     This  period  in 


Departments  of  the  Graded  School  4^ 

life  is  known  as  early  adolescence,  and  calls  for 
careful  direction  by  wise  teachers.  In  the  Inter- 
mediate Department  the  great  biographies  of  the 
Bible  should  be  studied,  either  as  the  regular  or 
the  supplemental  lessons;  also  the  heroic  lives  of 
leaders  in  the  history  of  the  Church,  of  foreign 
missionaries,  and  of  men  and  women  who  have 
labored  in  the  home  fields.  Boys  and  girls  in 
this  stage  of  life  are  instinctively  hero-worshipers, 
and  before  them  should  be  set  high  ideals  of 
character  and  service.  Special  effort  should  be 
made  in  leading  the  scholars  to  personal  consecra- 
tion to  Christ  and  to  union  with  the  Church;  for 
if  the  great  decision  be  not  made  before  the  age 
of  sixteen  is  reached,  there  is  great  danger  that 
it  will  never  be  reached.  But  that  decision  should 
include  more  than  a  formal  profession.  It  should 
embrace  a  full  surrender  to  the  will  of  Christ,  an 
inward,  conscious  spiritual  life,  an  aim  for  com- 
pleteness of  Christian  character,  and  especially  a 
willingness  to  work  for  God  and  humanity.  Youth 
is  a  season  of  ardor  and  of  energy,  a  period  of 
lofty  ideals  and  noble  endeavor.  All  those  active 
powers  of  the  youthful  nature  should  be  guided 
into  channels  of  usefulness.  The  true  twentieth 
century  disciple  of  Christ  is  not  one  who  lives 
alone  feasting  his  soul  on  God,  but  one  who  stands 
among  his  fellow-men,  eager  to  aid  in  the  world's 
betterment. 

6.  The  Senior  Department.  This  Is  the  preferable 
title,  although  some  organized  schools  call  it  the 
Young  People's  Department,  and  restrict  the  word 
Senior  to  the  classes  of  fully  adult  age.  Still 
others  call  it  the  Assembly,  and  give  it  an  organ- 


42  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

ization  independent  of  the  Sunday  school.*  The 
age  of  entrance  should  be  sixteen,  except  with 
some  who  in  stature  and  mind  are  mature  beyond 
their  years.  It  is  imperative,  as  we  have  already 
seen,  that  at  the  door  of  this  department  the 
young  people  should  leave  their  former  teachers, 
and  should  not  form  new  Senior  classes,  but  as 
individuals  enter  classes  already  established.  This 
department  includes  the  members  of  the  school 
between  sixteen  and  twenty  years  of  age ;  not  that 
members  of  classes  must  necessarily  leave  them  at 
twenty,  but  that  men  or  women  above  that  age 
entering  the  school  should  rather  join  the  Adult 
Department.  The  classes  may  be  as  large  as  the 
arrangement  of  rooms  will  allow;  larger  where  each 
class  can  have  a  separate  room,  which  is  the  ideal 
plan.  Generally,  young  men  and  young  women 
should  be  in  separate  classes.  The  teacher  of  a 
young  men's  class  should  be  a  man  whose  character 
will  inspire  the  respect  and  win  the  fellowship  of 
his  class.  The  teacher  of  the  young  women's  class 
will  generally  be  a  lady,  although  often  men  have 
been  successful  teachers  of  young  women. 

In  this  department  the  classes  should  be  organ- 
ized, each  with  its  own  officers,  chosen  by  the 
members;  and  the  class  should  be  consulted  when 
a  teacher  is  to  be  appointed,  although  the  voice 
of  the  class  in  the  decision  should  be  advisory  and 
not  mandatory.  Especial  attention  should  be  given 
to  the  social  activities  of  this  department.  Each 
class  should  have  its  own  gatherings,  classes  of 
young  men  and  women  should  meet  together 
occasionally,   and  a  Senior   Reception  should  be 

*  Suggested  by  Dr.  J.  H.  Vincent. 


Departments  of  the  Graded  School  43 

held  at  least  annually  to  promote  acquaintance 
among  the  members.  The  interest  of  the  young 
people  should  also  be  enlisted  in  some  definite 
form  of  service  for  the  church  or  the  community. 

7 .  The  Teacher-Training  Department.  The  most 
promising  young  people,  both  men  and  women, 
should  be  selected  at  sixteen  years  of  age — the 
time  of  promotion  into  the  Senior  Department — 
and  should  be  organized  as  the  Teacher-training  or 
Normal  Class.  The  best  teacher  obtainable  should 
be  assigned  to  this  department.  Often  in  the 
high  school  or  some  near-by  college,  a  scholarly, 
Bible-loving  instructor  may  be  found  who  is  will- 
ing to  give  a  part  of  his  time  to  the  equipment  of 
teachers  for  the  coming  generation.  A  text-book 
should  be  chosen  from  among  those  approved  by 
the  International  Teacher-training  Committee.  No 
person  should  be  admitted  to  this  class  who  is 
not  willing  to  give  some  time  during  the  week  to 
the  study  of  the  course.  While  the  rest  of  the 
school  may  be  studying  the  regular  lessons, 
whether  graded  or  uniform,  this  class  should  be 
at  work  with  the  teacher-training  text-books. 
There  should  be  thorough  instruction  with  examina- 
tions looking  toward  a  certificate  of  work  done,  such 
as  the  International  Teacher-training  diploma.* 
The  course  may  cover  two,  three,  or  four  years; 
and  new  members  may  be  placed  in  the  class  at 
the  opening  of  each  year,  to  begin  at  the  point 
where  the  class  is  studying,  and  to  remain  until 
they  shall  have  completed  the  entire  course.     In 

*  For  full  information  concerning  Teacher- training,  courses,  examina- 
tions, and  diplomas,  write  to  the  State  Secretary  of  Sunday  School 
Work,  or  to  the  office  of  the  International  Sunday  School  Association, 
No.  140  Dearborn  Street,  Chicago, 


44  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

a.  properly  graded  school  after  a  few  years  there 
will  be  a  class  graduating  from  and  a  class  enter- 
ing the  Teacher-training  Department  each  year. 

This  department  should  also  include  a  Reserve 
Class,  consisting  of  those  who  are  ready  to  act  as 
substitutes  for  absent  teachers.  If  the  uniform 
lessons  are  followed,  the  Reserve  Class  should  study 
the  lesson  a  week  in  advance  of  the  school.  Into 
this  class  the  graduates  of  the  Teacher-training 
Class  should  be  placed,  to  remain  until  classes  are 
ready  for  them  in  the  school. 

In  some  schools  the  Teacher-training  and  Re- 
serve Classes  do  not  form  a  separate  department, 
but  are  two  classes  in  the  Senior  Department. 
But  it  is  the  better  plan  in  a  large  school  to  estab- 
lish the  Teacher-training  Department,  with  its  own 
officers,  thereby  adding  to  its  prestige  in  the  school. 

8.  The  Adult  Department.  This  will  include  all 
who  are  above  the  age  of  twenty  years.  It  is  the 
judgment  of  advanced  leaders  in  Sunday-school 
work  that  at  twenty  years  those  who  have  be- 
longed to  Young  People's  classes  in  the  Senior 
Department  should  leave  them  for  the  Adult 
Department.  Otherwise,  the  Senior  Department 
in  a  few  years  will  cease  to  be  a  place  where  young 
people  of  sixteen  and  eighteen  years  feel  at  home. 
In  the  Adult  Department  men  and  women  may 
meet  together  as  members  of  the  same  class,  unless 
there  arise  a  demand  for  separate  classes  and  the 
numbers  enrolled  justify  the  division.  In  con- 
ducting these  classes  two  forms  of  instruction  have 
been  found  to  be  successful:  (i)  the  colloquial 
method  of  teaching,  the  class  studying  and  dis- 
cussing the  lesson  together  under  the  guidance  of 


Departments  of  the  Graded  School  45 

the  leader;  and  (2)  the  lecture  method,  the  teacher 
being  the  principal  speaker,  but  always  admitting 
questions  and  answers  on  the  subject  suggested  by 
the  lesson.  Classes  in  this  department  may  be 
allowed  to  choose  their  own  courses  of  study, 
provided  (i)  that  the  subjects  and  methods  are 
in  line  with  the  general  aim  of  religious  education, 
and  not  merely  secular  science  or  history;  (2)  that 
the  courses  of  successive  years  have  some  sequence, 
and  are  not  chosen  in  a  haphazard,  accidental 
manner.  The  Adult  Department  under  wise  direc- 
tion should  promote  a  large,  intelligent,  broad- 
minded,  philanthropic  type  of  Christian  character 
in  the  church  and  the  community. 

9.  The  Home  Department.  This  department,  like 
the  Cradle  Roll  at  the  other  extreme  of  the  Sunday- 
school  constituency,  is  composed  of  people,  both 
young  and  old,  who  cannot  be  present  at  its  ses- 
sions, but  are  interested  in  its  work,  and  willing 
to  give  some  time  to  its  studies.  In  every  com- 
munity there  are  such  people — aged  or  infirm  men 
and  women,  invalids,  mothers  unable  to  leave  their 
offspring,  commercial  travelers,  and  people  who  live 
too  far  from  the  school  to  attend  it.  These  are 
organized  into  the  Home  Department,  furnished 
with  the  literature  of  the  school,  study  its  text- 
books, make  their  report  of  work  done,  and  send 
their  contributions  to  its  support  through  the  Home 
Department  superintendent  or  visitor.^ 

^  For  plans  of  the  Home  Department,  address  the  Secretary  of  the 
State  Sunday  School  Association,  or  Dr.  W.  A.  Duncan,  Syracuse,  New 
York,  who  is  recognized  as  the  founder  of  this  system. 


VI 


THE  SUPERINTENDENT 

1.  His  Importance.  Several  years  ago,  the 
president  of  the  New  York  Central  Railway  was 
called  upon  by  a  legislative  committee  to  explain 
the  system  of  signals  employed  upon  the  railroad 
for  the  protection  of  passengers.  He  gave  a  de- 
tailed statement,  answered  every  question,  and 
then  made  this  remark:  "However  perfect  the 
system  may  seem  to  be,  there  must  always  be  a 
man  to  work  it;  and  in  the  final  analysis  more 
depends  on  the  man  than  on  the  plan." 

That  which  is  true  in  every  human  organization 
is  especially  trtie  in  the  Sunday  school:  its  success 
depends  not  on  a  constitution,  whether  written  or 
unwritten,  but  upon  a  man.  In  the  Sunday 
school  that  man  is  the  superintendent,  who  not 
only  works  the  plan,  but  also  generally  plans  the 
work.  Given  an  efficient  superintendent,  an  effi- 
cient school  will  usually  be  developed ;  for  the  able 
man  will  call  forth  or  will  train  up  able  workers. 
Hence  the  first  and  greatest  requisite  for  a  successful 
Sunday  school  is  that  the  right  man  be  chosen  as 
superintendent . 

2.  His  Appointment.  The  selection  of  the  super- 
intendent should  be  the  task  not  only  of  the 
officers  and  teachers  in  the  Sunday  school,  but  of 
the  entire  church,  for  every  family  in  the  congre- 
gation has  an  interest  in  his  appointment.  The 
pastor  should  be  consulted,  and  should  give  diligent 

46 


The  Superintendent  47 

attention  and  time  to  the  search  for  a  superintend- 
ent, not  merely  because  he  may  be  presumed  to 
know  his  constituency,  but  more  especially  because 
out  of  all  the  church  the  superintendent  is  to  be  his 
most  important  helper.  The  election  of  the  super- 
intendent should  be  made  by  the  workers  in  the 
school,  its  board  of  teachers  and  officers,  and  its 
action  should  be  formally  confirmed  by  the  ruling 
board  of  the  local  church.  No  man  should  hold 
the  office  of  a  superintendent  who  fails  to  receive 
the  approval  of  the  church  of  which  the  school  is  a 
part.  He  should  know  that  in  his  appointment  the 
school,  the  church,  and  the  pastor  all  unite. 

3.  His  Term  of  Office.  He  should  be  chosen 
for  a  term  of  one  year;  but  may  be  reelected  for 
as  many  terms  as  appear  expedient.  Frequent 
changes  in  the  management  of  the  school  will 
tend  to  destroy  the  efficiency  of  its  work.  But 
whenever  the  great  interests  involved  in  the  reli- 
gious education  of  an  entire  church  or  community 
require  a  new  superintendent  the  change  should  be 
made,  even  though  sympathy  be  felt  for  the  one 
set  aside.  The  institution  must  not  be  sacrificed 
to  save  the  feelings  of  the  man. 

4.  His  Qualifications.  It  is  important  to  con- 
sider the  qualifications  of  an  ideal  superintendent, 
remembering,  however,  that  all  these  qualities  are 
rarely  to  be  found  in  one  man.  We  must  set 
before  us  high  ideals,  not  expecting  that  they  will 
always  be  fully  realized,  yet  ever  seeking  to  attain 
them  as  far  as  may  be  possible  in  this  imperfect 
world.  The  following  are  the  most  important 
qualifications  for  a  superintendent;  some  of  them 
are  essential,  all  are  desirable: 


48  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

(i)  Moral  Character.  The  Sunday  school  under- 
takes to  train  the  young  in  character;  therefore 
he  who  stands  as  its  responsible  head  must  possess 
a  character  worthy  of  admiration  and  imitation. 
His  life  must  honor,  and  not  dishonor,  his  pro- 
fession. It  is  possible  for  a  man  whose  work  for 
an  hour  on  Sunday  is  in  behalf  of  the  gospel  so 
to  live  in  his  family,  in  business,  and  in  society 
as  to  work  for  six  days  against  the  gospel,  and 
more  than  undo  all  his  efforts  for  good.  The 
leader  in  such  an  uplifting  movement  as  the  Sunday 
school  must  have  clean  hands  and  a  pure  heart. 
What  Saint  Paul  wrote  of  a  bishop  he  would  have 
written  of  a  Sunday  school  superintendent:  he 
must  have  "a  good  report."  In  the  well-known 
painting  of  the  Emancipation  Proclamation  may  be 
seen  standing  at  the  right  hand  of  President 
Lincoln  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  Salmon  P. 
Chase,  who  once  said,  "A  man  in  my  position 
must  not  only  seem  right,  but  be  right;  and  not 
only  be  right,  but  seem  right."  So  will  every 
one  say  of  the  Sunday-school  superintendent. 

(2)  A  Devout  Believer.  The  superintendent's 
character  should  be  irradiated  with  the  fine  glow 
of  a  Christian  faith.  He  should  be  one  who  has 
seen  the  heavenly  vision  and  unto  it  has  not 
been  disobedient ;  one  whose  spirit  has  been  kindled 
by  the  Divine  Spirit  burning  like  a  fire  within; 
one  who  is  himself  a  Christian  man,  longing  to 
lead  other  men  into  fellowship  with  the  Father 
through  Jesus  Christ  the  Son. 

(3)  A  Working  Church  Member.  We  have  al- 
ready learned  that  the  Sunday  school  is  not  a 
society  or  an  institution  standing  alone.     It  is  a 


The  Superintendent  49 

branch  of  the  church,  and  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant branches.  The  normal  growth  of  the  church 
depends  in  large  measure  upon  the  Sunday  school, 
and  the  support  of  the  Sunday  school  comes,  or 
should  come,  from  the  church.  The  superintendent 
who  endeavors  to  do  his  duty  to  his  scholars  will 
strive  to  lead  them  to  Christ  and  into  active 
membership  and  service  in  the  church.  Therefore, 
he  himself  must  be  a  professed,  loyal,  and  effective 
member  of  the  church.  His  name  should  not  only 
stand  upon  its  roll,  but  his  heart  should  also  be 
enlisted  in  its  behalf. 

(4)  A  Bible  Student.  The  Sunday  school  is  the 
school  with  one  preeminent  text-book;  and  of  that 
Book  the  superintendent  should  be  a  diligent 
student.  His  work  is  executive  and  not  instruc- 
tional; yet  he  must  supervise  the  teaching,  and 
this  supervision  he  cannot  rightly  give  unless  he 
is  familiar  with  the  course  of  study.  He  should 
study  the  lesson  of  each  department,  perhaps  not 
as  thoroughly  as  the  teachers  in  the  department, 
but  sufficiently  to  maintain  acquaintance  with  their 
work.  And  he  should  master  not  only  the  specific 
lessons  of  the  immediate  course  before  his  school, 
but  also  the  Book  as  a  whole. 

One  successful  superintendent  gave  as  a  secret 
of  his  power  to  make  his  school,  both  teachers 
and  scholars,  willing  to  do  whatever  he  asked, 
**I  never  expect  my  teachers  or  scholars  to  do 
anything  that  I  am  not  ready  to  do  myself.  Before 
I  ask  them  to  bring  their  Bibles  I  bring  mine. 
When  I  asked  my  school  to  be  ready  on  the  follow- 
ing Sunday  to  repeat  in  concert  the  Nineteenth 
Psalm,    I    committed    it   to   memory   during   the 


56  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

week,  and  when  the  time  came  spoke  the  words 
with  the  school."  Only  that  superintendent  who 
himself  loves  the  Bible,  and  studies  it,  can  have 
a  true  Bible  school. 

(5)  An  Able  Executive.  The  Sunday  school  is 
like  that  vision  seen  by  the  prophet  Ezekiel,  a 
system  of  wheels  within  wheels,  all  endowed  with 
life;  and  the  master  of  the  mechanism  directing 
its  motion  is  the  superintendent.  Moreover,  each 
of  these  living  wheels  in  the  Sunday-school  machine 
is  a  volunteer  worker,  who  may  at  any  moment 
drop  out  of  his  orbit.  To  hold  together  these 
varied  elements,  to  combine  their  movements,  to 
guide  each  in  his  own  sphere,  to  compass  the 
common  purpose  through  all  the  forces  working 
as  one,  requires  a  wise  brain  and  a  skillful  hand. 
The  superintendent  should  have  a  plan  for  the 
school,  with  details  throughout  for  every  emer- 
gency; he  should  be  ready  to  assign  to  every 
worker  the  task  for  which  he  is  best  fitted;  he 
should  be  able  to  work  with  others,  not  merely 
to  command  others;  and  he  should  be  a  leader 
whom  others  will  follow,  not  by  the  might  of  an 
overmastering  will,  but  by  the  magnetism  of  an 
attractive  personality.  He  should  never  forget  that 
with  others  as  well  as  with  himself  service  in  the 
Sunday  school  is  not  compulsory  but  voluntary, 
that  his  associates  lay  on  the  altar  their  free- 
hearted, unpaid  labor;  and  that  such  workers 
cannot  be  commanded,  although  by  tact  and  wise 
generalship  they  may  be  led  to  accomplish  the 
most  difficult  tasks. 

(6)  Sympathy  with  Youth.  The  superintend- 
ent's office  will  bring  him  into  relations  with  youth 


The  Superintendent  5^ 

during  all  its  stages,  from  early  childhood  through 
the  entire  adolescent  period.  He  must  be  able  to 
see  life  and  the  world  through  the  eyes  of  a  little 
child,  of  a  growing  boy,  and  of  a  young  man. 
The  sympathy  which  he  needs  is  not  a  compas- 
sionate feeling  for  youth,  but  a  feeling  with  youth, 
an  ability  to  put  himself  in  its  place;  to  feel  as 
young  people  feel,  and  to  understand  why  they 
act  as  they  sometimes  do.  This  sympathy  will 
impart  a  love  for  young  people,  such  a  love  as 
will  enable  him  to  be  patient  with  their  foibles 
and  faults,  to  exert  a  powerful  influence  over  them, 
and  to  keep  before  them  noble  ideals  of  character 
and  service. 

(7)  Teachable  Spirit.  No  matter  how  much  the 
superintendent  knows,  or  thinks  he  knows,  he 
should  hold  his  mind  open  to  new  knowledge. 
He  should  be  on  the  alert  for  new  ideas,  from  the 
periodicals,  from  books,  and  from  his  fellow 
workers,  in  conversation,  at  conventions  and  insti- 
tutes; not  that  he  may  inflict  every  new  method 
upon  his  school,  but  that  out  of  many  methods 
he  may  select  the  best.  When  Michael  Angelo  was 
past  eighty-five  years  old,  and  almost  bhnd,  he 
was  found  one  day  beside  an  antique  torso  which 
had  recently  been  dug  out  of  the  ground,  bending 
over  it,  and  carefully  pressing  his  fingers  upon  its 
surface.  When  asked  what  he  was  doing,  he 
answered,  **I  am  learning"!  The  masters  in  every 
department  of  work  are  never  too  wise  nor  too 
old  to  learn. 

If  a  man  can  be  found  who  possesses  all  these 
seven  traits  of  character  and  temperament,  the 
school  which  can  secure  him  for  its  superintendent 


52  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

will  be  fortunate  indeed.  And  the  superintendent 
who  thoughtfully  reads  the  catalogue  of  qualifica- 
tions, and  feels  that  in  some  of  them  he  is  lacking, 
may  by  divine  grace  and  his  own  will  working 
together  make  progress  toward  the  goal  of  becom- 
ing an  ideal  superintendent. 


VII 

THE  SUPERINTENDENT'S  DUTIES  AND 
RESPONSIBILITIES 

The  superintendent  has  been  found,  has  been 
chosen,  and  is  in  his  place — what  are  the  prerog- 
atives and  the  duties  of  his  office?  These  may  be 
considered  under  three  classes:  (i)  His  general 
duties.  (2)  His  duties  during  the  week.  (3)  His 
duties  in  the  session  of  the  school. 

I.  General,  (i)  Supervision.  It  is  his  right  to 
supervise  and  direct  the  work  of  the  school  without 
interference  as  to  details  from  the  teachers,  the 
officers  of  the  church,  or  the  pastor.  The  pastor 
may  be  the  admiral  of  the  fleet,  directing  the 
general  movements  of  the  sea  campaign;  but  the 
superintendent  is  the  captain  of  the  ship,  through 
whom  orders  are  to  be  given  to  all  on  board. 

(2)  Selection  of  Teachers.  He  should  have  the 
chief  word  in  the  choice  and  appointment  of 
teachers,  but  in  the  choice  he  should  obtain  the 
concurrence  of  his  pastor ;  and  their  election  should 
be  made  upon  the  superintendent's  nomination  by 
the  teachers  and  officers. 

(3)  Assignment  of  Scholars.  He  should  possess 
the  final  authority  in  the  assignment  of  scholars 
to  classes,  in  any  changes  from  class  to  class,  and 
in  promotions  from  lower  to  higher  departments. 
In  these  responsibilities  he  may  be  greatly  aided 
by  an  associate  superintendent,  to  whom  his 
authority  may  be  delegated. 

S3 


54  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

(4)  Program  of  Services.  It  is  the  superin- 
tendent's prerogative  to  plan  and  direct  the 
services  of  the  school  session.  It  may  be  the  part 
of  wisdom  for  him  to  consult  with  the  musical 
director  or  organist  in  the  selection  of  hymns,  but 
it  is  the  superintendent's  right  to  choose  and  to 
announce  them,  in  common  with  all  parts  of  the 
program. 

(5)  Support.  He  is  entitled  to  a  loyal  support 
from  all  his  fellow  workers;  but  if  he  is  tactful  he 
will  take  them  into  his  confidence,  will  present 
his  plans  for  their  consideration,  and  will  not 
attempt  important  reforms  or  changes  without 
their  concurrence. 

2.  Week-day  Work.  He  is  the  superintendent  of 
the  Sunday  school  for  seven  days  in  every  week; 
and  will  find  much  work  to  be  done  between  the 
sessions.  His  w^eek-day  duties  will  include  some 
that  have  already  been  mentioned. 

(i)  Program.  Before  he  comes  to  the  school  he 
should  invariably  prepare  a  well  worked  out  pro- 
gram for  each  session.  It  is  a  good  plan  to  have 
a  large  blank  book,  in  which  two  pages  opposite 
each  other  are  assigned  to  the  session  for  the  day. 
Every  hymn  should  be  selected  in  advance  and 
noted  in  its  place ;  every  announcement  to  be  made 
should  be  written;  the  outline  of  a  lesson  review, 
if  one  is  to  be  given,  should  be  indicated;  and 
space  should  be  left  for  memoranda  of  miscel- 
laneous matters  which  may  need  attention.  This 
program  should  be  laid  upon  the  desk,  so  that  if 
for  any  reason  the  superintendent  should  be  out 
of  his  place  upon  the  platform  an  associate  can 
go  forward  without  delay. 


The  Superintendent's  Duties  55 

(2)  Lesson  Study.  In  schools  where  the  unifonn 
lesson  is  still  followed  in  all  or  most  departments, 
the  superintendent  should  make  himself  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  the  lesson  for  the  coming  session. 
As  has  been  intimated,  he  should  be  prepared  for 
any  work  expected  of  his  teachers  and  scholars. 
He  should  be  ready  after  the  class  study  to  give 
a  practical  summary  of  the  teachings  in  the  lesson, 
in  a  crisp,  well-outlined  talk,  which  will  be  aided 
by  a  blackboard  illustration.  And  in  the  increas- 
ing number  of  schools  which  are  employing  graded 
lessons,  not  uniform  in  the  departments,  the 
superintendent  should  have  at  least  a  general 
knowledge  of  the  subjects  studied  in  each  depart- 
ment. The  more  thoroughly  the  superintendent 
fills  his  own  mind  and  heart  with  the  truth,  the 
more  efficiently  will  the  truth  be  taught  in  his 
school. 

(3)  Social  Duties.  The  superintendent  should 
know  all  his  teachers,  and,  as  far  as  possible,  his 
scholars  also.  If  it  be  practicable  for  him  to  visit 
teachers  at  their  homes,  the  visitation  will  greatly 
increase  his  influence  and  his  usefulness.  If  in  his 
own  home,  or  in  the  parlors  of  some  family  in 
the  congregation,  a  social  gathering  of  the  teachers 
and  officers  can  occasionally  be  held,  it  will  add 
to  the  social  power  of  the  school.  And  in  the 
social  relations  much  can  be  accomplished  before 
and  after  the  church  service,  the  school  session,  the 
prayer  meeting,  and  the  other  gatherings  of  the 
congregation.  There  are  superintendents  who  keep 
before  them  up-to-date  lists  of  the  classes,  and  by 
study  of  faces  during  the  school  session,  with 
judicious  inquiry,  are  able  to  call  large  numbers 


56  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

of  the  scholars  by  name.  Such  greetings  will 
strengthen  the  superintendent  and  heighten  the 
loyalty  of  the  school. 

(4)  Seeking  Workers.  In  nearly  all  Sunday 
schools  there  is  a  constant  need  of  helpers,  to  fill 
the  places  of  withdrawing  or  absent  teachers;  and 
the  work  of  supplying  the  demand  generally  falls 
upon  the  superintendent.  He  may  find  relief  in 
the  work  of  an  associate  superintendent,  as  will 
be  seen  in  the  next  chapter.  Both  the  superin- 
tendent and  his  associate  should  always  be  on  the 
alert  for  new  teachers  and  for  new  scholars.  As 
the  builder  in  stone  looks  at  every  fragment  of 
rock,  to  see  where  it  will  best  fit  into  his  wall, 
so  the  whole-hearted  superintendent  studies  every 
individual  in  the  parish,  to  find  exactly  the  place 
he  may  fill  in  the  school,  as  an  officer,  a  teacher, 
or  a  scholar;  and  not  infrequently  his  search  will 
be  rewarded  by  a  treasure. 

(5)  Cabinet  Meetings.  The  superintendent  should 
confer  frequently  with  the  several  heads  of  depart- 
ments, and  with  all  the  officers;  talking  with  them 
freely  about  his  own  plans,  and  learning  theirs, 
for  the  welfare  of  the  school.  It  is  not  necessary 
that  these  cabinet  meetings  should  be  formal,  hav- 
ing a  secretary  and  a  record.  They  may  be  held 
Occasionally,  for  a  few  minutes  after  the  session 
of  the  school,  or  as  a  social  evening  at  a  private 
house. 

(6)  Special  Days.  He  should  keep  a  calendar  of 
special  occasions  in  the  school  year,  such  as  the 
Sundays  set  apart  for  temperance  and  for  missions, 
Easter,  Children's  Day,  Rally  Day,  Decision  Day, 
Christmas,    Promotion    Day,    and    other    notable 


The  Superintendent's  Duties  57 

events.  Weeks  in  advance  of  each  occasion — in  the 
case  of  some  of  them  even  months  in  advance — 
he  should  begin  to  consider  what  special  exercises 
should  be  held,  what  preparation  is  needed,  and 
who  can  best  supervise  the  plans.  For  a  fortnight 
before  Children's  Day  or  the  Christmas  celebration, 
many  Sunday  schools  are  in  a  turmoil  of  confu- 
sion, and  lessons  abandoned,  simply  because  the 
superintendent  did  not  take  thought  in  sufficient 
time. 

(7)  The  Convention.  The  Sunday-school  work  of 
the  Christian  world  is  now  thoroughly  organized 
in  international,  state,  county,  and  town  associa- 
tions. Each  school  finds  itself  a  part  in  a  mighty 
movement ;  and  it  is  the  duty  of  the  superintendent 
to  see  that  his  school  takes  its  place  in  the  Sunday- 
school  army.  He  should  see  that  in  the  institute 
and  the  convention  his  school  is  well  represented; 
and  if  at  all  possible  he  should  attend  these  gather- 
ings, and  be  active  in  them.  Many  a  worker  who 
for  most  of  the  year  is  alone,  burdened  with 
perplexities,  has  been  refreshed,  has  found  his 
vision  enlarged  and  his  plans  improved,  by  con- 
ference with  other  workers,  and  by  listening  to 
experienced  specialists. 

3.  His  Duties  in  the  School  Session,  (i)  Present 
Early.  He  should  be  at  his  post,  if  possible, 
from  twenty  minutes  to  half  an  hour  before  the 
opening  of  the  school.  However  early  he  may 
arrive,  he  will  probably  find  a  group  of  children 
there  in  advance  of  him;  and  they  will  behave 
better  if  his  eye  is  on  them,  especially  if  his  glance 
is  kind,  and  with  it  is  a  hand-shake  or  a  word  of 
recognition.     The  early  superintendent  will  often 


58  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

be  surprised  to  find  how  much  business  in  the 
interest  of  the  school  can  be  transacted  before  the 
session. 

(2)  Open  Promptly.  With  his  program  ready, 
he  should  begin  the  session  exactly  on  the  minute, 
and  should  carry  out  every  item  according  to  the 
plan.  If  for  any  reason  the  superintendent  is  not 
at  the  desk  when  the  moment  for  the  opening 
arrives,  the  associate  or  first  department  superin- 
tendent should  be  empowered  to  call  the  school  to 
order  and  begin  the  opening  service. 

(3)  Conduct  Program.  The  superintendent 
should  conduct  the  general  program  of  services; 
although  it  is  advisable  to  recognize  the  associate 
and  others,  by  calling  upon  them  to  take  some 
part  in  the  opening  or  closing  services.  A  super- 
intendent whose  methods  were  always  well  chosen 
was  wont  once  in  each  month  to  invite  some 
official  or  prominent  member  of  the  church,  who 
was  not  an  attendant  upon  the  school,  to  be 
present,  sit  upon  the  platform,  and  offer  the  prayer 
at  the  opening  of  the  session.  This  kept  the 
leading  members  of  the  church  in  closer  relation 
to  the  school. 

(4)  During  the  Lesson.  As  a  general  principle, 
the  superintendent  should  remain  at  his  desk 
during  the  lesson  period;  but  to  this  rule  frequent 
exceptions  will  be  made.  The  supply  of  substi- 
tutes for  absent  teachers,  and  the  assignment  of 
new  scholars  to  classes,  belong  to  the  field  of  the 
associate  superintendent. 

(5)  Lesson  Review.  In  the  Sunday  schools 
which  still  follow  the  uniform  system  of  lessons, 
studying  the  same  portion  of  Scripture  in  all,  or 


The  Superintendent's  Duties  59 

nearly  all,  the  grades  of  the  school,  the  superin- 
tendent should  give  a  brief  practical  summing  up 
of  the  practical  points  in  the  lesson;  but  this 
review  should  not  exceed  five  or  six  minutes  in 
length.  If  the  pastor  possesses  the  gift  of  terse, 
crisp  speaking,  this  practical  talk  may  be  given 
by  him.  In  the  schools  adopting  the  graded  courses 
of  lessons  this  review  should  be  given  in  each 
department  by  the  department  superintendent. 
Here  again  the  adaptation  to  the  point  of  view 
and  needs  of  the  pupils  of  each  grade  can  be 
made  much  more  effective  than  in  the  ungraded 
school. 

(6)  Closing.  The  superintendent  should  so  carry 
out  the  program  as  to  close  the  session  at  the 
time  appointed.  An  hour  and  a  quarter  is  as 
long  as  is  profitable  for  the  school;  and  every- 
thing that  needs  to  be  done  can  be  brought  into 
that  space.  Often  much  time  is  lost  by  unnecessary 
delays  between  the  numbers  on  the  program. 

4.  Miscellaneous  Duties.  Here  are  a  few  general 
suggestions,  hints,  and  *'don'ts"  for  the  superin- 
tendent, briefly  stated: 

(i)  Notebook.  Let  the  superintendent  remem- 
ber to  obtain  that  notebook,  to  keep  it  at  hand, 
and  to  make  use  of  it.  Some  pages  at  the  end  of 
the  book  might  be  reserved  for  special  suggestions 
gathered  from  books,  periodicals,  and  meetings. 

(2)  Quiet.  Let  him  be  careful  not  to  make  much 
noise  during  the  session,  but  to  set  an  example — 
which  will  soon  be  felt — in  favor  of  quiet  and 
orderly  conduct.  It  is  not  at  all  certain  that  he 
needs  a  bell  for  calling  attention;  but  if  he  uses 
one,  let  it  be  a  little,  gentle,  quiet  bell,  held  in  the 


6o  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

hand  as  a  signal,  and  never  rung  vociferously  or 
repeatedly.  Said  a  new  superintendent  as  he  tested 
the  bell  on  Saturday  before  assuming  office,  "What 
a  magnificent  bell  this  would  be  for  calling  mis- 
sionaries home  from  India!"  But  he  never  used 
it  in  the  school.  One  of  the  best  superintendents 
of  a  generation  ago  was  widely  known  as  "the 
silent  superintendent."  He  was  not  deaf  nor 
dumb,  but  his  manner  was  noticeably  quiet,  and 
his  large  Sunday  school  was  always  in  perfect  order. 

(3)  Early  Lesson.  Let  the  opening  service  be 
short,  so  that  the  lesson  period — which  is  the 
important  part  of  the  program — may  be  reached 
while  the  teachers  and  scholars  are  fresh  and  the 
air  of  the  room  is  pure. 

(4)  Use  the  Bible.  If  a  Scripture  lesson  is  read 
by  the  superintendent  and  school  responsively,  it 
should  be  from  the  Bible  upon  the  desk  or  in 
the  hand  of  the  leader,  and  not  from  a  lesson 
quarterly.  Encourage  the  use  of  the  Bible  as  a 
text-book  and  for  reference.  If  the  superintendent 
always  brings  his  own  Bible,  he  can  appeal  to  his 
teachers  and  scholars  to  follow  his  example.  With 
regard  to  the  Scripture  reading  in  the  opening 
service,  it  is  the  judgment  of  many  thoughtful 
superintendents  that  even  in  a  school  following 
uniform  lessons  the  reading  should  not  be  the 
lesson  for  the  day,  but  a  devotional  portion  of 
Scripture,  perhaps  a  selection  from  the  Home 
Readings  of  the  week.  It  is  a  good  plan  for  the 
first  reading  of  the  lesson  for  the  day  to  be  by  the 
teacher  and  the  class  together. 

(5)  Lesson  Period.  No  interruption  should  be 
allowed  to  break  into  the  time  assigned  for  class 


The  Superintenclent*s  Duties  6 1 

study,  except  under  imperative  necessity.  The 
teacher  and  the  class  should  hold  that  period 
sacred  to  united  study,  without  being  diverted 
from  their  task  by  secretary,  librarian,  superin- 
tendent, or  pastor.  Said  Bishop  Vincent  once, 
"I  would  like  to  have  suspended  from  the  roof  of 
the  Sunday-school  hall  a  series  of  great  glass  half- 
globes,  one  for  each  class,  to  be  dropped  down 
over  the  class,  and  kept  there  during  the  time 
reserved  for  the  study  of  the  lesson!" 

(6)  Speakers.  A  visitor  should  rarely  be  invited 
or  allowed  to  address  the  school;  never,  unless  the 
superintendent  has  sufficient  knowledge  to  be  sure 
that  he  will  speak  briefly,  interestingly,  and  point- 
edly. Before  the  uniform  lesson  concentrated  the 
studies  of  the  Sunday  school  it  was  the  custom 
to  invite  almost  any  visitor  to  speak  to  the  school ; 
and  many  were  the  wrongs  inflicted  upon  the  boys 
and  girls  in  those  good  old  days  by  dull,  loqua- 
cious Sunday-school  orators.  But  almost  every- 
body now  understands  that  the  Sunday  school  is 
a  working  institution,  and  its  work  must  not  be 
interrupted. 

(7)  Self-control.  There  will  be  times  when  the 
superintendent  will  need  to  be  on  guard  over 
himself;  times  when  he  feels  depressed,  or  mel- 
ancholy, perhaps  a  little  cross.  If  he  yields  to  his 
natural  impulses,  the  school  will  soon  perceive  the 
state  of  his  nerves,  and  some  scholars  may  even 
endeavor  to  add  to  his  trials.  At  such  times,  let 
him  watch  over  himself  mightily,  and  resolve,  no 
matter  how  he  feels,  to  "keep  sweet,"  to  speak 
gently,  and  to  look  cheerful. 

(8)  The  Aim.     Lastly,  one  purpose  should  ever 


62  Organizing  the  Sunday  ScKool 

stand  before  the  superintendent,  and  should  be  the 
constant  object  of  his  endeavor — 'to  lead  all  his 
scholars  into  a  personal,  vital  relation  to  Jesus  as 
the  Christ,  to  bring  them  into  union  with  the 
church,  and  to  inspire  them  to  enter  upon  active 
Christian  service. 


VIII 

THE  ASSOCIATE  AND  DEPARTMENT 
SUPERINTENDENTS 

1 .  The  Necessity.  In  every  Sunday  school  there 
is  need  of  an  officer  to  aid  the  superintendent 
and  to  take  his  place  when  absent.  Even  in  a 
small  school  the  supervision  can  be  more  thorough 
and  the  teaching  more  efficient,  if  some  one  is  at 
hand  with  authority  to  relieve  the  superintendent 
of  minor  details,  and  give  him  freedom  for  the 
general  management.  And  in  a  large  school 
assistants  to  the  superintendent  are  an  absolute 
necessity,  for  each  department  becomes  in  itself  a 
school.  There  is  need,  therefore,  of  a  general 
assistant  to  be  the  chief  of  staff  to  the  superin- 
tendent, and,  in  a  large  and  well-organized  school, 
of  a  special  assistant  in  each  department. 

2.  Titles.  Until  recently,  the  assistant  superin- 
tendent in  most  Sunday  schools  was  merely  one 
of  the  teachers  named  to  take  the  place  of  the 
superintendent  when  absent,  but  with  no  duties 
when  the  head  of  the  school  was  present.  In  the 
complete  organization  that  is  now  becoming  gen- 
eral, the  office  has  been  renamed,  and  its  functions 
distinctly  assigned.  The  chief  assistant  to  the 
superintendent  is  now  generally  called  the  Associate 
Superintendent,  a  higher  title  for  his  important  and 
regular  duties.  The  chief  of  each  department  in 
the  Sunday  school  is  generally  called  Department 
Superintendent,     that    is,     Primary    Department 

63 


64  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

Superintendent,  Senior  Department  Superintend- 
ent; and  each  department  superintendent  has  the 
same  relation  to  his  department  that  the  associate 
superintendent  holds  to  the  school. 

3.  Appointment.  The  associate  superintendent 
should  be  nominated  by  the  superintendent  and 
confirmed  by  the  board  of  teachers  and  officers. 
When  two  candidates  are  nominated  for  the  office 
of  superintendent,  and  one  obtains  a  majority,  it 
is  not  wise  to  elect  the  minority  candidate  as 
associate  superintendent,  unless  he  is  entirely 
acceptable  to  the  newly  chosen  superintendent. 
The  chief  executive  of  the  school  should  not  be 
compelled  to  find  next  to  him  a  rival,  who  may 
be  an  uncongenial  worker,  to  carry  out  plans 
with  which  the  latter  may  not  be  in  accord.  In 
order  to  possess  freedom  in  his  policy  the  superin- 
tendent should  choose  his  own  chief  helper;  but  he 
should  receive  the  confirmation  of  his  choice  from 
his  fellow  workers  in  the  school.  The  same  plan 
of  nomination  and  confirmation  should  be  followed 
in  the  choice  of  the  department  superintendents. 
The  associate  and  the  department  superintendents 
should  constitute  the  superintendent's  cabinet,  to 
be  called  together  often  for  consultation  upon  the 
interests  of  the  school. 

4.  Duties  of  the  Associate  Superintendent,  (i) 
Not  a  Teacher.  Unless  the  school  be  small,  with 
less  than  a  hundred  members,  the  associate  superin- 
tendent should  not  at  the  same  time  be  the  regular 
teacher  of  a  class.  He  will  find  other  work  to 
occupy  his  time,  both  before  and  during  the  ses- 
sion of  the  school.  He  may,  however,  hold  himself 
ready  to  act  as  substitute  for  an  absent  teacher. 


Associate  and  Department  Superintendents     65 

(2)  Deputy  Superintendent.  If  for  any  reason 
the  superintendent  is  absent,  his  place  should  be 
taken  promptly  by  the  associate  superintendent. 
It  should  also  be  understood  that  if  at  the  moment 
of  opening  the  school,  or  at  any  point  in  the 
general  service,  the  superintendent  is  not  on  the 
platform,  the  associate  shall  act  as  his  repre- 
sentative, without  the  slightest  reflection  upon  the 
superintendent's  administration,  the  two  being  re- 
garded in  their  work  as  one. 

(3)  Providing  Substitutes,  One  definite  duty  of 
the  associate  superintendent  should  be  to  provide 
substitutes  for  absent  teachers,  relieving  entirely 
the  superintendent  from  that  burdensome  and 
perplexing  task.  The  teachers  should  permit  no 
ordinary  hindrance  to  keep  them  from  their  classes, 
for  no  one  can  fully  supply  the  place  of  a  true 
teacher  in  the  regard  of  the  scholars.  But  when 
a  teacher  finds  it  necessary  to  be  absent  he  should 
make  strenuous  endeavor  to  find  a  substitute ;  and 
if  unable  to  secure  one,  should  notify,  not  the 
superintendent,  but  the  associate;  and  before  the 
lesson  period  the  associate  should  have  a  supply 
ready. 

If  the  school  has  been  properly  graded  it  will 
include  a  Teacher-training  Class;  but  under  no 
circumstances  should  the  associate  take  one  of  its 
members  as  a  supply  teacher,  even  for  one  Sunday. 
This  class  should  remain  untouched  by  the  demand 
for  teachers  until  its  members  have  completed  the 
prescribed  course.  If  there  is  a  Reserve  Class, 
substitutes  should  be  called  from  it  in  some  order, 
preferably  alphabetical,  so  that  the  same  members 
will  not  be  taken  too  frequently. 


66  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

Where  the  Sunday  school  is  held  in  the  after- 
noon or  at  noon,  the  associate  can  generally  pro- 
vide for  needy  classes  by  watching  at  the  morning 
service  for  possible  teachers.  If  he  is  compelled 
to  look  for  them  in  the  Adult  or  Senior  classes  of 
the  school,  he  should  be  present  early,  and  if 
possible  obtain  his  supplies  before  the  opening  of 
the  school.  If  the  associate  superintendent  has 
done  his  work,  when  the  lesson  begins,  every  class 
will  have  a  teacher  seated  before  it,  ready  for  the 
Bible  study.  He  should  never  wait  until  the  time 
for  opening  the  lesson  to  see  what  classes  need 
teachers,  and  then  undertake  to  obtain  them  by 
interrupting  the  teaching  in  three  or  four  classes 
and  calling  for  volunteers,  while  the  classes  without 
teachers  are  listlessly  waiting,  and  valuable  time  is 
lost  from  the  half-hour  of  the  lesson  period.  All 
this  work  should  be  done  before  the  lesson,  and, 
if  possible,  before  the  opening  of  the  school. 

(4)  Assignment  of  New  Scholars.  Another  duty 
of  the  associate  superintendent  is  to  meet  new 
scholars  and  assign  them  to  classes.  For  this 
work  he  should  be  present  early,  meet  the  scholars 
as  they  come,  learn  who  the  new  scholars  are, 
write  down  names,  places  of  residence,  ages,  par- 
ents' names,  why  they  come;  and  prepare  material 
for  the  card  catalogue  under  the  secretary's  care. 
Scholars  bringing  new  members,  and  teachers  into 
whose  classes  they  may  come,  should  introduce 
them  to  the  associate  superintendent,  who  should 
at  once  take  charge  of  them.  No  new  scholar 
below  the  grade  of  Senior  should  choose  his  own 
class,  although  his  desire  to  be  with  friends  should 
be    considered,    so    far    as   it   will   not    interfere 


Associate  and  Department  Superintendents     67 

with  the  established  system  of  classification.  Some 
large  graded  schools  have  a  temporary  class  to 
which  new  pupils  in  the  Intermediate  and  Junior 
grades  are  assigned  for  a  few  sessions  until  their 
permanent  place  can  be  fixed. 

(5)  Detailed  Supervision.  There  are  also  minor 
duties  wherein  the  associate  superintendent  can  be 
of  great  service.  While  the  superintendent  is  at 
the  desk  directing  the  general  exercises,  his  asso- 
ciate may  be  upon  the  floor,  quietly  observing  the 
condition  and  needs  of  the  school.  He  can  note 
where  Bibles,  song  books,  or  lesson  quarterlies  are 
needed,  and  can  see  that  they  are  distributed 
without  interrupting  the  service.  He  can  also  give 
quiet  attention  to  the  order  of  the  school,  calling 
to  their  duty  boisterous,  talking,  or  inattentive 
scholars.  For  the  superintendent  to  stop  in 
announcing  a  hymn  or  reading  the  Scripture,  to 
rebuke  some  disorderly  or  thoughtless  pupil,  breaks 
into  the  service  and  mars  its  dignity.  The  asso- 
ciate superintendent  can  accomplish  the  desired 
result  at  the  right  moment  by  a  light  step  and  a 
gentle  word. 

(6)  Chief  of  Staff.  In  a  word,  the  associate 
superintendent  should  be  the  chief  of  staff  to  the 
executive  head  of  the  school,  his  eyes,  ears,  and 
hand;  possessing  full  acquaintance  and  accord  with 
his  plans,  and  carrying  them  out  in  his  name; 
informing  and  advising  him,  yet  careful  of  criticism; 
avoiding  all  that  would  hinder,  and  aiding  in  all 
that  would  make  his  management  successful.  He 
can  divide  the  labor,  and  relieve  his  chief  of  some 
of  the  most  perplexing  and  trying  details,  leaving 
him  free  to  watch  over  the  general  interests  of  the 


68  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

school.  Whoever  can  fulfill  such  a  service  is  an 
invaluable  worker,  and  should  be  held  in  high 
honor. 

Many  of  the  duties  named  above  may  be  in  the 
sphere  of  the  department  superintendent,  who 
should  be  in  his  section  what  the  associate  superin- 
tendent is  to  the  school. 


IX 

THE  SECRETARY  OP  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

1.  Importance.  The  secretary  of  the  Sunday 
school  is  an  officer  of  far  greater  importance  than 
is  generally  supposed.  In  too  many  schools  some 
youth  in  the  adolescent  period  is  made  secretary, 
merely  to  keep  him  in  the  school,  without  con- 
sideration of  his  capacity  and  adaptedness  to  the 
office.  As  a  result  of  an  unsuitable  appointment, 
the  minutes  of  the  teachers'  meetings  are  incom- 
plete, the  registry  of  the  classes  is  neglected,  and 
the  true  condition  of  the  school  cannot  be  ascer- 
tained. If  by  any  good  fortune  or  by  a  more 
careful  choice  an  able  and  faithful  secretary  takes 
his  place,  at  once  a  new  impulse  is  felt  by  the 
school.  The  superintendent,  the  teachers,  and  even 
the  scholars  will  realize  that  energy,  accuracy,  and 
thoroughness  count  for  much  in  the  work  of  this 
department.  They  will  appreciate  faithful  service, 
and  will  themselves  respond  to  its  influence. 

2.  Qualifications.  The  ideal  secretary  of  a  Sun- 
day school  should  possess  the  following  char- 
acteristics : 

(i)  A  Business  Man.  He  should  possess  the 
instincts  of  a  man  of  business,  being  willing  to 
work,  systematic  in  method,  and  thorough  in  care 
of  details. 

(2)  Regular  in  Attendance.  He  should  make  the 
Sunday  school  his  business  on  Sunday,  with  a 
fidelity  equal  to  that  which  he  manifests  toward 

69 


70  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

his  vocation  through  the  week.  His  regularity 
should  also  embrace  promptness,  coming  in  advance 
of  the  hour;  for  much  of  the  secretary's  work  may 
be  done  before  the  opening  of  the  service. 

(3)  Good  Writer.  He  should  be  able  to  write 
legibly,  and  possess  skill  in  framing  sentences 
correctly,  and  in  writing  them  plainly,  without 
unnecessary  flourishes. 

(4)  Quick  Mental  Action.  His  mental  processes 
should  be  sufficiently  rapid  for  him  to  set  down 
an  ordinary  motion,  presented  in  a  public  meeting, 
without  requiring  it  to  be  repeated  or  written  out 
by  the  mover.  An  able  recorder  will  promptly 
express  in  the  minutes  the  form  of  a  motion  or 
the  spirit  of  a  speech,  thereby  saving  much  time 
in  the  meeting  and  much  space  in  the  report. 

(5)  Q'i^i^t  Manner.  The  secretary  should  watch 
the  program  and  do  his  work  without  interrupting 
it.  He  should  never  appear  among  the  classes  dur- 
ing prayer,  during  the  reading  of  Scripture,  or 
while  a  speaker  is  addressing  the  school.  Only 
under  urgent  necessity  should  he  come  to  a  class 
in  the  lesson  period,  and  in  that  case  only  at  its 
beginning.  During  intervals  in  the  service,  or 
during  the  singing,  he  may  find  it  needful  at 
times  to  pass  among  the  classes;  but  he  should 
do  this  necessary  work  quietly,  without  distracting 
the  attention  of  the  school. 

(6)  Courteous  Conduct.  His  bearing  should  al- 
ways be  that  of  a  gentleman,  refined  and  courteous, 
thoughtful  of  others  and  patient  toward  all;  a 
manner  enabling  him  to  win  the  friendly  aid  of 
every  teacher,  upon  whom  the  accuracy  of  the 
class  record  must  depend. 


The  Secretary  7 1 

Whoever  can  be  found,  in  the  school  or  the 
community,  possessing  these  qualities,  or  approach- 
ing them,  should  be  chosen  as  secretary  of  the 
Sunday  school,  whether  man  or  woman.  Often  a 
young  woman,  accustomed  through  the  week  to 
business  methods,  becomes  an  efficient  secretary  of 
the  Sunday  school. 

3 .  Appointment.  The  secretary  should  be  elected 
by  the  board  of  officers  and  teachers.  As  he  is 
not  merely  an  assistant  to  the  superintendent, 
but  an  officer  of  the  school,  it  is  not  necessary 
that  he  should  receive  a  nomination  from  the 
superintendent.  His  term  of  office  should  be  one 
year,  with  as  many  reelections  as  will  promote 
the  good  of  the  service. 

4.  Assistants.  In  almost  any  school  the  secre- 
tary will  need  an  assistant,  whom  he  should 
nominate,  subject  to  confirmation  by  the  board  of 
teachers  and  officers. 

5.  Department  Secretaries.  In  a  graded  Sunday 
school  there  should  be  an  assistant  secretary  for 
each  department,  who  may  be  one  of  the  teachers, 
or  in  the  Senior  and  Adult  grades,  one  of  the 
scholars.  He  should  take  the  records  of  the 
classes  in  the  department  and  transmit  them  to 
the  secretary  of  the  school.  But  the  secretary  is 
responsible  for  the  records  of  the  entire  school, 
and  should  see  personally  that  the  record  of  each 
department  is  complete. 

5.  Duties.  The  work  of  the  secretary  may  be 
classified  as  follows: 

(i)  Record  of  Meetings.  As  secretary  of  the 
board  of  teachers  and  officers,  he  should  be  present 
at  all  business  meetings  and  make  a  careful  record. 


72  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

Every  motion  should  be  stated  clearly,  with  the 
names  of  its  mover  and  its  seconder,  and  the 
action  taken.  A  statement  should  be  given  of 
every  committee  appointed,  its  purpose,  and  the 
names  of  its  members.  All  committees  should  be 
expected  to  present  written  reports,  however  brief. 
A  concise  summary  of  each  report,  in  a  few  sen- 
tences, or  a  single  clause,  should  appear  in  the 
minutes  of  the  meeting  at  which  the  report  is 
presented;  and  the  report  itself  should  be  filed 
for  reference  in  case  it  should  be  needed.  A  com- 
mittee once  named  is  on  the  minutes,  and  cannot 
be  ignored  nor  forgotten  until  its  report  has  been 
presented  and  adopted,  and  the  committee  has 
been  formally  discharged.  For  example,  it  is  not 
sufficient  for  the  committee  on  the  Christmas  en- 
tertainment to  hold  the  entertainment;  it  must 
afterward  report  that  the  entertainment  was  held 
on  a  certain  date;  must  have  its  report  adopted, 
and  receive  its  discharge.  It  should  be  the  duty 
of  the  secretary  from  time  to  time  to  call  for 
reports  of  committees  named  in  the  minutes  of 
previous  meetings,  to  insist  that  a  report  be 
rendered,  and  that  some  action  be  taken  upon  it. 

(2)  Record  of  the  School.  In  every  well-ordered 
Sunday  school  the  secretary  summarizes  in  writing 
the  attendance  in  each  department,  the  total 
attendance,  the  number  of  new  scholars,  and 
other  items  to  be  preserved,  including  the  weather, 
which  may  sometimes  account  for  a  small  attend- 
ance; also  a  comparison  with  the  record  of  the 
same  Sunday  last  year.  This  report  should  be 
read  to  the  school  by  the  secretary  at  the  call  of 
the  superintendent,  or  posted  before  the  school; 


The  Secretary  73 

and  it  should  also  be  recorded  in  a  book  which 
will  contain  the  statistics  of  the  school  through  a 
term  of  years. 

(3)  Records  of  Classes.  The  secretary  and  his 
assistants  should  prepare  the  books  in  which  the 
class  record  of  attendance  is  recorded.  The  name 
of  each  scholar  should  be  given  correctly  and 
fully  (for  example,  not  "F.  Jones,"  but  "Frederick 
Jones").  The  secretary  should  see  that  the  record 
of  attendance  for  each  Sunday  is  accurately  kept. 
He  will  need  to  give  special  attention  to  classes 
where  substitutes  take  the  place  of  absent  teachers, 
and  to  see  that  the  record  for  the  day  is  not 
neglected.  As  often  as  the  arrangement  of  the 
class  books  requires  the  rewriting  of  the  names  of 
the  scholars,  he  should  transcribe  the  list,  always 
writing  every  name  in  full.  In  looking  through 
the  class  lists  he  should  note  the  names  of  those 
who  have  been  absent  for  a  series  of  sessions, 
and  should  report  them  to  the  superintendent,  for 
consideration  and  for  investigation  of  every  habit- 
ual absentee.  If  these  scholars  can  be  visited, 
many  of  them  may  be  retained  in  the  school. 

(4)  Records  of  Scholars.  In  addition  to  the 
record  in  the  class  books,  another  record  should 
be  kept  of  every  member  of  the  school,  including 
every  officer,  teacher,  and  scholar;  a  card  catalogue, 
each  name  upon  a  separate  card,  and  all  the  cards 
filed  in  alphabetical  order.  The  card  for  each 
scholar  should  give  besides  his  name  the  date  of 
his  entrance  to  the  school,  either  the  date  of  his 
birth  or  his  age  at  entering — approximative,  if 
above  eighteen  years;  his  residence,  with  street 
and  number  in  a  city;  parents'  names;  class  to 


74  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

which  he  is  assigned ;  his  relation  to  the  church  or 
congregation,  and  any  other  important  facts.  The 
card  should  contain  the  record  of  every  promotion, 
and  its  date;  of  any  changes  in  residence,  and 
other  details,  so  that  it  becomes  a  reliable  and 
complete  history  of  each  individual  in  the  school. 
In  many  schools  the  birthday  of  each  member  is 
kept  upon  the  record,  and  is  recognized  by  sending 
a  birthday  card.  If  a  scholar  or  teacher  leaves 
the  school  the  fact  is  recorded,  and  the  card  is 
then  taken  from  the  regular  catalogue  and  filed 
permanently  in  the  list  of  "former  members." 

(5)  Literature  of  the  School.  The  secretary 
should  be  in  charge  of  the  literature  used  by  the 
school,  its  text-books,  lesson-quarterlies,  and  other 
periodicals.  He  should  see  that  the  literature  is 
ordered  in  full  time,  should  receive  it,  keep  it  in 
his  care,  and  attend  to  its  distribution.  The  par- 
ticular text-book  for  each  grade  is  fixed  by  the 
superintendent;  and  the  secretary  should  receive 
from  him  direction  as  to  the  lesson  helps  for  each 
grade. 

(6)  Correspondence.  The  secretary  should  con- 
duct all  correspondence  in  behalf  of  the  school  or 
of  the  teachers  as  a  body,  unless  for  a  special 
purpose  the  chairman  of  a  committee  be  in  charge 
of  correspondence  relating  to  his  work. 

The  secretary  who  with  the  aid  of  his  staff 
undertakes  to  do  all  the  work  that  rises  before  him 
will  not  find  his  task  a  light  one.  But  his  depart- 
ment carried  on  with  vigor  will  greatly  promote 
the  success  of  the  Sunday  school. 


X 

THE  TREASURY  AND  THE  TREASURER 

I.  In  the  Early  Sunday  School.    A  study  of  ori- 
gins has  shown  that  in  the  earliest  Sunday  schools 
in  America,  as  in  England,  provision  was  made  for 
the  payment  of  officers  and  teachers.     In  the  first 
schools  estabUshed  in  and  near  Philadelphia,  each 
paid  teacher  had  charge  of  what  would  now  be 
considered  a  department,  and  the  practical  teach- 
ing was  given  under  his  direction  by  scholars,  who 
were  called  monitors.    But  in  a  new  country,  where 
the  settlements  were  small  and  the  people  mostly 
poor,   the   system  of  paid  teachers  soon   passed 
away,  and  the  schools  were  carried  on  by  voluntary 
and  unpaid  workers.     It  was  fortunate  for  the 
American  Sunday  school  that  in  its  beginnings  it 
required  but  little  money.    For  the  place  of  meet- 
ing any  chapel  or  schoolhouse  or  settler's  cabin 
would    serve.      The    literature    was    exceedingly 
meager— a  few  Testaments  and  spelling  books,  and 
generally  these  were  brought  by  the  teachers  and 
scholars.     When  the  earliest  lesson  books  were 
pubHshed,  they  were  not  quarterlies,  nor  annuals, 
to  be  thrown  away  after  one  using,  but  were  studied 
year  after  year.  The  largest  item  of  expense  was  the 
library;  and  as  this  was  an  institution  for  the  entire 
neighborhood,  the  families  willingly  contributed  to- 
ward it.    Not  until  the  Sunday  school  had  become 
thoroughly  founded  did  the  question  of  its  financial 
support  arise  as  a  problem. 

75 


76  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

2.  In  the  Modern  Sunday  School.  As  the  Sunday 
school  advanced  in  position,  in  influence,  and  in 
better  methods  of  work,  its  expenses  naturally 
increased.  Now,  in  the  opening  of  its  second 
century,  its  financial  requirements  are  far  greater 
than  they  were  even  a  generation  ago.  It  asks 
for  special  and  suitable  buildings,  with  rooms  and 
furnishings  adapted  to  the  educational  needs  of  its 
several  departments;  for  a  periodical  literature 
suited  to  teachers  and  scholars  of  every  grade,  and 
requiring  to  be  renewed  every  year;  for  an  organ 
or  piano — often  for  several,  with  an  orchestra 
added;  for  an  equipment  of  song  books  different 
from  those  in  the  church  service;  for  entertain- 
ments and  gifts  at  Christmas,  and  a  day's  outing 
for  all  in  the  summer;  for  libraries  containing 
popular  books  for  the  scholars  and  helpful  works 
for  the  teachers  in  their  work.  The  demands  of 
a  large  and  growing  Sunday  school,  in  city  or 
country,  are  great,  but  in  nearly  all  congregations 
the  funds  for  the  support  of  the  Sunday  school  are 
obtained  with  less  effort  than  those  for  any  other 
department  of  church  activity,  and  in  this  liberality 
the  Christian  people  show  their  wisdom  and  insight. 

3.  Practical  Ways  and  Means.  The  methods  of 
financial  support  for  the  Sunday  school  are  exceed- 
ingly varied.  The  simplest  plan  is  through  a 
regular  weekly  contribution  in  the  classes.  Where 
attention  is  given  to  the  collection,  and  an  appeal 
is  occasionally  made  in  its  behalf,  the  school  will 
generally  obtain  the  funds  needed  for  its  own 
support.  When  the  special  need  arises  for  the 
purchase  of  a  piano  or  a  library,  some  entertain- 
ment may  be  held  which  will  by  its  profits  swell 


The  Treasury  and  the  Treasurer  77 

the  receipts.  The  objection  to  these  methods, 
which  are  almost  universal,  is  that  they  appeal  to 
self-interest,  and  fail  to  educate  the  members  of 
the  school  in  true  liberality.  It  is  for  our  school, 
our  piano,  our  library,  that  the  appeal  is  made 
and  the  money  is  contributed.  The  scholars  should 
be  taught  to  give  to  the  cause  of  Christ  and  his 
gospel,  and  not  merely  to  interests  from  which  they 
themselves  are  to  receive  a  reward. 

4.  The  Ideal  Way  of  Giving.    The  more  excellent 
way  is  for  the  church  in  its  annual  estimate  of 
expenses  to  include  a  fair,  even  liberal,  allowance 
for  the  Sunday  school,  and  at  intervals  through 
the  year  pass  over  to  the  treasury  of  the  Sunday 
school   the   funds   appropriated,   to  be   expended 
according  to  principles  and  regulations  provided. 
Then  let  every  officer,  teacher,  and  pupil  in  the 
school,  from  the  Adult  Department  to  the  Primary, 
and  even  to  the  Beginners,  make  his  own  weekly 
offering  to  the  church.     Most  church  schools  con- 
tribute to  the  cause  of  foreign  missions;  but  there 
is  equal  reason  why  they  should  give  to  all  the 
general  benevolent  objects  for  which  the  church 
receives  an  annual  collection.     This  plan  would 
unite  the  church  and  the  school  more  firmly,  would 
avoid  multiplying  and  conflicting  objects  for  which 
funds  are  raised,  and,  best  of  all,  would  train  every 
child  in  the  Sunday  school  to  systematic  giving 
upon  the  true  gospel  principle,  which  is  *'not  to  be 
ministered  unto,  but  to  minister." 

5.  The  Sunday-School  Treasurer.  The  work  of 
the  treasurer  is  very  different  from  that  of  the 
secretary;  yet  the  two  offices  are  often  held  by 
one  person.    In  that  case  they  should  be  regarded 


78  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

as  distinct  positions;  the  election  to  the  two 
offices  should  be  separate,  and  not  at  the  same 
time  for  one  person  as  secretary  and  treasurer. 
At  every  business  meeting  a  separate  report  should 
be  presented  for  the  two  departments,  and  the 
treasurership  should  not  be  regarded  as  a  branch 
of  the  secretary's  work.  If  the  plan  outlined  in 
the  last  paragraph  be  adopted  as  the  method  of 
providing  for  the  financial  needs  of  the  Sunday 
school,  it  might  be  well  to  choose  the  treasurer  of 
the  church  as  treasurer  of  the  Sunday  school,  thus 
giving  unity  to  the  financial  administration  of  the 
entire  organization. 

6.  The  Treasurer's  Work.  This  will  require  a 
person  who  is  known  as  careful  in  accounts,  as 
well  as  honorable  in  all  his  dealings. 

(i)  His  Charge.  All  the  funds  of  the  Sunday 
school  should  pass  through  his  hands.  If  money 
is  raised  for  any  purpose,  or  a  money-making 
entertainment  is  held,  the  treasurer  should  take 
charge  of  the  receipts  and  pay  the  bills.  For  this 
purpose  he  should  be  ex  officio  a  member  of  all 
committees  required  to  receive  and  disburse  funds. 

(2)  Bank  Account.  Except  in  small  and  remote 
places,  the  treasurer  will  find  it  desirable  to  keep 
an  account  with  a  bank  in  behalf  of  the  school, 
and  deposit  therein  all  moneys  received.  Under 
no  circumstances  should  he  deposit  Sunday-school 
funds  as  a  part  of  his  own  private  account,  but 
should  keep  separate  accounts  as  an  individual  and 
as  treasurer. 

(3)  Reports  and  Vouchers.  At  each  meeting  of 
the  governing  board  of  the  school  he  should  pre- 
sent a  statement  of  the  condition  of  the  treasury, 


The  Treasury  and  the  Treasurer  79 

with  exact  mention  of  all  moneys  received  and 
paid  since  the  last  meeting;  and  for  every  payment 
he  should  show  a  receipt  or  voucher,  and  on  it  the 
"O.  K."  or  approval  of  some  qualified  person  who 
knows  that  it  is  correct. 

(4)  Bills.  He  should  receive  all  bills  against  the 
school,  and  should  inform  himself  concerning  them, 
in  order  to  be  able  to  answer  any  questions  raised 
by  members  of  the  board.  He  should  present  at 
the  meeting  a  statement  of  all  the  unpaid  bills 
on  hand,  with  a  forecast  of  bills  expected,  and 
obtain  a  vote  of  the  board  upon  each  bill  that  is 
to  be  paid. 

(5)  Checks.  It  is  desirable  to  pay  bills  as  far  as 
possible  with  checks,  as  the  check  will  often  serve 
as  a  receipt;  and  the  receipted  bills  should  be  filed 
together  for  reference. 

(6)  Audits.  An  Auditing  Committee  should  be 
appointed,  to  examine  the  accounts  of  the  school 
from  time  to  time,  and  always  when  the  treasurer 
completes  his  term,  alike  whether  he  is  reelected 
or  gives  place  to  a  successor.  This  committee 
should  either  present  a  written  report,  or  should 
sign  their  names  to  the  treasurer's  report,  with  the 
indorsement,  "Audited  and  found  correct." 

Most  of  the  above  recommendations,  perhaps  all 
of  them,  state  the  methods  that  would  be  followed 
by  any  intelligent,  businesslike  treasurer.  But  in 
the  continent- wide  area  of  the  Sunday  school,  of 
necessity,  not  all  treasurers  are  intelligent  or  expe- 
rienced in  business  methods ;  and  there  are  doubt- 
less many  who  may  profit  by  these  suggestions. 

(7)  Study  of  Benevolent  Interests.  One  of  the 
most  important  duties  of  a  treasurer  in  a  modem 


8o  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

Sunday  school  is  to  study  the  different  charitable 
objects  that  present  themselves  to  the  school,  de- 
cide upon  their  merits,  and  then  present  them 
understandingly  to  the  members  of  the  school,  with 
a  view  to  eliciting  their  interest  and  training 
them  in  the  spirit  and  habit  of  intelligent  giving. 
This  important  task  raises  the  treasurership  out  of 
mere  mechanical  service,  and  constitutes  it  one  of 
the  directing  forces  in  the  school. 


XI 

VALUE    OF  THE  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  LIBRARY 

1.  The  Library  of  the  Past.  Until  quite  recent 
times  the  Sunday-school  library  was  understood  to 
be  a  collection  of  books,  mainly  of  an  entertaining 
character,  kept  in  the  school,  distributed  at  its 
sessions,  and  read  by  the  scholars,  for  enjoyment 
rather  than  for  instruction.  Such  a  library  was 
regarded  as  an  essential  of  the  Sunday  school. 
However  small  or  however  poor  the  school,  it 
must  have  a  library.  Books  were  scarce,  and 
desirable  books  were  high  in  price.  There  were  no 
free  public  libraries,  and  few  circulating  libraries. 
The  library  was  regarded  as  the  principal  attrac- 
tion of  the  school,  and  it  drew  the  scholars.  Many 
children  attended  two  Sunday  schools  in  order  to 
obtain  each  week  two  library  books.  The  books 
were  read  by  all  the  family;  and  in  many  homes 
the  Sunday-school  library  furnished  most  of  the 
reading  matter.  The  literature  may  not  have  been 
of  the  highest  grade,  but,  with  all  its  defects,  the 
Sunday-school  library  of  the  past  was  a  useful  and 
valuable  institution. 

2.  Its  Decline  in  the  Present.  In  recent  times, 
and  especially  in  well-settled  and  cultured  com- 
munities, the  Sunday-school  library  has  lost  much 
of  its  importance.  Very  many  schools  have  closed 
their  libraries;  and  in  the  schools  continuing  their 
use  only  a  small  proportion  of  the  scholars  obtain 
books.      Inquiry    has   shown    that    in    cities   and 

8i 


82  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

suburban  towns  a  school  of  two  hundred  members 
will  include  not  more  than  thirty  who  make  use 
of  the  library.  When  the  library  is  closed  scarcely 
any  complaints  from  the  scholars  are  heard;  nor 
is  the  closing  of  the  library  followed  by  a  loss  of 
scholars.  Publishing  houses  which  formerly  issued 
fifty  new  books  each  year,  especially  for  Sunday- 
school  libraries,  have  entirely  abandoned  this 
branch  of  business.  It  cannot  be  maintained  that 
the  Sunday-school  library  for  the  entertainment  of 
the  scholars  now  holds  a  prominent  place,  or  is  a 
factor  of  success,  in  the  best  American  Sunday 
schools. 

3.  Causes  of  Decline.  It  is  not  difficult  to  find 
reasons  for  this  present  lack  of  interest  in  the 
Sunday-school  library.  Books  are  now  far  more 
abundant  than  they  were  formerly.  They  are  sold 
cheaply,  and  are  to  be  found  in  almost  every 
home.  The  periodical  literature  in  circulation  to- 
day is  apparently  a  hundredfold  greater  than  it 
was  two  generations  ago.  Every  city  and  almost 
every  town  has  its  public  library.  Many  schools 
are  furnished  with  free  libraries.  Readers  can 
scarcely  find  time  for  the  books  and  magazines 
that  are  open  to  them.  Moreover,  the  Sunday 
school  now  stands  in  such  recognized  honor  and 
power  that  it  no  longer  needs  the  old-time  library 
as  a  bait  for  scholars.  The  library  for  mere  recre- 
ation does  not  readily  fit  into  the  general  scheme 
of  education  in  the  modem  Sunday  school.  Then, 
too,  the  educational  work  of  the  school  demands 
such  an  outfit  of  books  and  periodicals,  renewed 
each  year,  that  the  additional  expense  of  the 
library   is   a   heavy   burden.      Sharp   criticism   is 


Value  of  the  School  Library  83 

passed  upon  the  quality  of  the  books  in  most 
Sunday-school  libraries,  as  being  almost  wholly 
stories,  and  stories  of  a  cheap  and  commonplace 
character,  many  of  them  absolutely  injurious.  The 
conducting  of  the  library  is  often  found  to  inter- 
fere with  the  order  and  work  of  the  school.  These 
are  among  the  causes  which  have  led  to  disuse  of 
the  library  in  many  Sunday  schools. 

4.  The  Uses  of  a  Good  Library.  Notwithstanding 
the  objections  to  the  Sunday-school  library,  its 
neglect  by  many  scholars,  and  its  abolition  in 
many  schools,  the  fact  remains  that  the  majority 
of  Sunday  schools  still  retain  the  library,  and 
claim  that  it  is  needed.  There  are  even  places 
where  the  Sunday-school  library  holds  its  own 
constituency  in  competition  with  the  town  library; 
and  in  small  villages  the  Sunday  school  supplies 
most  of  the  books  in  circulation.  The  principal 
claims  made  in  behalf  of  such  a  library  are  the 
following : 

(i)  Family  Needs.  Every  family  needs  good 
reading  matter.  The  books  that  interest  the  young 
generally  interest  the  old  also.  People  who  would 
be  at  a  loss  to  select  a  book  from  the  shelves  of  a 
public  library  will  read  the  book  brought  to  them 
from  the  Sunday-school  library.  The  reading  of 
the  library-book  fills  leisure  time  on  Sunday  after- 
noons and  on  long  winter  evenings. 

(2)  Moral  Influence.  While  most  Sunday-school 
books  as  literature  are  open  to  criticism,  yet  in 
the  realm  of  ethics  they  generally  present  high 
ideals.  The  characters  depicted  in  them  may  not 
be  symmetrical,  but  on  the  whole  they  are  earnest 
and  upright.     Youth  admires   heroism;   and  the 


84  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

personalities  portrayed  in  popular  Sunday-school 
books  are  generally  heroic,  even  though  they  may 
be  unduly  emotional.  The  boys  who  are  picked  up 
by  the  police  in  railroad  centers,  armed  for  fighting 
Indians  or  robbing  trains,  generally  carry  an  assort- 
ment of  cheap  novels,  but  they  are  not  from 
Sunday-school  libraries.  If  the  criterion  be  ethics 
and  not  literature,  most  Sunday-school  books  will 
stand  the  test. 

(3)  Aid  to  the  School.  As  has  been  already 
suggested,  the  original  aim  of  the  library  was  to 
attract  scholars  to  the  school.  In  many  places 
this  influence  is  no  longer  needed;  but  there  still 
remain  communities  where  scholars  are  obtained 
and  families  are  interested  by  means  of  the  library. 
And  it  is  an  open  question  whether  if  the  library 
had  advanced  step  by  step  with  the  other  depart- 
ments of  the  school,  if  the  same  attention  had 
been  given  to  the  supply  and  management  of  the 
library  as  has  been  given  to  the  educational  work, 
if  the  right  books  had  been  kept  upon  its  shelves, 
and  advanced  methods  had  been  sought  in  their 
distribution,  the  library  of  the  Sunday  school 
might  not  still  be  a  vigorous  and  successful  insti- 
tution. 

5.  Principles  of  Selection.  If  the  governing  board 
of  the  school  decides  that  a  library  for  general 
reading  by  the  scholars  is  desirable,  the  question 
at  once  arises  as  to  what  principles  shall  determine 
the  selection  of  books.  A  few  of  these  principles 
may  be  stated: 

(i)  Variety.  The  library  should  represent  more 
than  one  department  of  literature.  So  general  is 
the  taste   for  stories  that   the   tendency  will   be 


Value  of  the  School  Library  85 

inevitable  to  overload  the  library  with  works  of 
fiction.  Therefore  special  care  should  be  given  to 
include  in  it  the  lives  of  great  and  good  men — 
heroes,  statesmen,  explorers,  leaders  of  the  church, 
and  missionaries .  All  of  these  present  life  on  its 
romantic  side,  and  may  be  found  written  in  an 
entertaining  manner.  Upon  the  shelves  should  also 
be  placed  history  and  science — not  in  many- 
volumed  treatises  for  scholars,  but  in  popular  books 
for  young  people.  In  fact,  there  are  few  depart- 
ments of  a  good  public  library  which  may  not 
properly  be  included  in  the  library  of  the  Sunday 
school,  especially  in  places  where  the  school  is 
expected  to  supply  the  reading  matter  for  the 
community. 

(2)  Popularity.  Merely  to  place  books  on  the 
shelves  of  a  Sunday-school  library  will  not  insure 
the  reading  of  them.  This  library  aims  to  be 
emphatically  a  circulating  library.  Its  books  are 
not  for  show,  but  for  use;  and  their  place  to  be 
seen  is  not  on  the  shelves  of  the  library-room,  but 
in  the  homes  of  the  scholars  and  teachers.  It  is 
absolutely  essential  that  no  book  be  placed  in 
the  library  unless  it  is  sufficiently  interesting  to  be 
taken  out  and  read,  for  an  unread  book  is  worse 
than  useles  in  the  Sunday-school  library.  Although 
its  principles  be  as  sound  as  the  Ten  Command- 
ments, if  it  be  dull  it  must  be  condemned.  Students 
may  be  willing  to  plod  through  an  uninteresting 
book  because  it  is  profitable,  but  ordinary  readers, 
especially  youthful  readers,  will  turn  from  it. 
Books  should  not  be  purchased  because  they  are 
good,  or  because  they  are  cheap ;  nor,  on  the  other 
hand,  should  they  be  chosen  only  because  they  are 


86  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

popular;  yet  an  interesting,  popular  quality  should 
be  an  absolute  requirement  in  every  book  placed 
upon  the  library  shelves. 

(3)  Literary  Quality.  Books  are  influential 
teachers,  and  a  style  like  that  of  Hawthorne  or 
Eliot  will  unconsciously  mold  the  language  of  those 
who  read  it.  On  the  other  hand,  the  habitual 
readers  of  the  slang  in  the  comic  paragraph  of  the 
newspaper  will  talk  in  a  careless  and  inelegant 
manner.  Of  course,  all  books  should  be  excluded 
from  the  library  which  deal  in  low,  profane,  or 
immoral  language,  without  regarding  the  specious 
plea  that  such  describe  life  as  it  is.  We  do  not 
need  to  learn  the  language  of  the  slums  to  know 
life;  and,  as  one  writer  has  said,  we  do  not  want 
a  realism  that  can  be  touched  only  with  a  pair  of 
tongs.  The  best  pirate  story  in  the  English  lan- 
guage is  one  that  is  without  an  oath  from  cover  to 
cover, ^  and  we  would  not  exclude  it  from  the 
Sunday-school  library.  Let  us  seek  for  writers 
whose  expression  is  direct,  smooth,  and  cultured. 
The  Sunday  school  in  its  literature  as  well  as  its 
teaching  should  lead  upward  toward  refinement  of 
taste. 

(4)  Moral  Teaching.  The  ethical  standard  of 
every  book  in  the  Sunday-school  library  should  be 
of  the  highest.  Not  that  every  paragraph  should 
end  with  the  application  like  the  Hcec  fabula  docet 
of  ^sop's  fables,  or  that  the  characters  in  a  story 
should  be  of  a  "goody-goody"  kind,  or  that  none 
but  good  people  should  appear  upon  the  page. 
There  must  be  some  shadows  in  the  perspective 
that  the  light  may  stand  in  contrast.     But  in  no 

*  R.  L.  Stevenson's  Treasure  Island. 


Value  of  the  School  Library  87 

case  should  wrong,  or  sin,  or  the  doubtful  mo- 
ralities of  modern  society  be  made  attractive. 
Moral  problem  stories,  in  which  the  boundary  lines 
of  right  and  wrong  conduct  are  crossed  and  re- 
crossed  until  right  seems  wrong,  and  wrong  seems 
right,  should  have  no  place.  "Should  love  stories 
be  admitted?"  Not  if  the  element  of  love  enters 
as  the  dominant  thought  of  the  book.  A  story 
should  not  be  forbidden  because  there  is  a  pair  of 
lovers  in  it;  but  it  should  not  be  accepted  if  the 
book  shows  no  higher  motive  than  to  set  forth 
their  passion.  Books  should  be  sought  that  will 
inculcate  a  noble  manliness  for  young  men  and  a 
noble  womanliness  for  young  women,  and  there  are 
such  books  in  numbers  sufficient  to  fill  the  library 
shelves. 

(5)  Christian  Spirit.  It  is  not  required  that 
every  book  should  set  forth  and  illustrate  a  spiritual 
experience.  It  may  be  religious  without  preaching 
religion.  But  the  morals  it  inculcates  should  be 
founded  upon  the  gospels  and  inspired  by  faith. 
It  should  be  reverent  in  its  treatment  of  the  Bible, 
of  the  church,  and  of  the  ministry.  A  book  or  a 
story  designed  to  weaken  belief  in  the  Scriptures 
as  records  of  the  divine  will,  or  holding  the  church 
up  to  scorn,  or  showing  a  minister  as  its  villain, 
should  be  kept  out  of  the  Sunday-school  library. 
Criticism  or  discussion  of  the  Bible,  of  the  church, 
and  of  the  ministry  has  its  place,  but  its  place  is 
not  in  the  Sunday  school.  The  Sunday  school  is 
distinctively  a  religious  and  a  Christian  institution, 
and  the  atmosphere  of  the  Christian  religion  should 
pervade  its  library. 

6.  The  Coming  Sunday-School  Library.    Another 


88  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

library  of  a  higher  type  than  that  designed  for  the 
reading  and  recreation  of  the  scholars  is  now 
arising  to  notice  in  many  advanced  Sunday  schools, 
and  is  destined  to  become  the  Sunday-school 
library  of  the  future,  either  supplementing  the 
library  of  the  past  or  taking  its  place.  It  is 
the  library  which  is  to  the  Sunday  school  what  the 
college  library  is  to  the  college,  a  workshop  equipped 
with  tools  for  the  use  of  the  teacher  and  the 
scholar.  It  will  be  at  once  a  reference  library, 
containing  the  best  Bible  dictionaries,  cyclopedias, 
expository  works,  and  gospel  harmonies,  open  at 
certain  times  for  the  use  of  students;  and  also  a 
lending  library  of  books  upon  the  Bible,  upon  the 
Sunday  school,  upon  teaching,  upon  religion,  upon 
character,  and  upon  the  varied  forms  of  social 
service  which  are  now  calling  for  workers,  and  will 
call  yet  more  imperatively  in  the  coming  years. 
The  books  for  this  library  must  be  chosen  with 
wisdom;  for  they  should  represent  the  results  of 
the  best  scholarship,  yet  be  expressed  in  language 
that  the  nonprofessional  reader  can  understand; 
and  many  of  them  must  be  for  the  scholars,  who 
are  of  all  ages  and  all  degrees  of  intelligence. 
Those  of  the  Primary  Department  should  be  able 
to  find  in  such  a  library  the  stories  of  the  Bible 
told  in  such  a  fascinating  manner  that  a  child 
too  young  to  read  them  may  listen  to  them  with 
interest,  and  picture-books  illustrating  the  events, 
the  people,  the  dress,  and  the  landscape  of  the 
Bible.  It  should  be  planned  to  meet  the  needs  of 
every  grade  in  the  Sunday  school,  and  to  aid 
every  teacher  and  every  scholar;  and  when  estab- 
lished it  should  be  made  effective  in  the  educational 


Value  of  the  School  Library  89 

work  of  the  school.  Just  as  in  the  secular  school 
and  the  college  students  are  sent  to  the  library 
with  directions  as  to  the  books  they  will  need,  so 
in  the  Sunday  school  teachers  will  be  able  to 
counsel  their  scholars  and  to  give  them  week-day 
work,  so  that  the  teaching  will  be  more  than  the 
talk  of  the  teacher;  it  will  embrace  the  results  of 
searching  on  the  part  of  the  scholar.  Under  the 
system  of  uniform  lessons  the  use  of  such  a  library 
was  well-nigh  impracticable,  because  every  class 
would  need  the  same  books  at  one  time.  But  the 
uniform  lessons  are  being  rapidly  displaced  by  the 
graded  system,  giving  to  each  grade  its  own  series 
of  lessons;  and  this  method,  requiring  different 
books  for  each  age  in  the  school,  will  open  the  way 
for  reference  work  and  study  in  the  library.  The 
time  is  at  hand  when  such  a  working  library  will 
become  a  necessity  in  every  well-organized  school. 
7.  The  Public  Library  and  the  Sunday  School. 
It  would  seem  that  wherever  the  public  library  is 
free,  available,  and  well  conducted  some  arrange- 
ment might  be  effected  whereby  the  Sunday-school 
libraries  could  be  united  with  the  public  library. 
This  would  lessen  expense  and  difficulty  in  manage- 
ment, w^ould  avoid  the  unnecessary  reduplication 
of  copies  of  the  same  books,  and  would  give  to 
the  scholars  at  once  a  wider  selection  and  the 
advantage  of  the  open  shelf.  In  more  than  one 
town  this  has  been  accomplished.  The  Sunday 
schools  have  transferred  all  their  libraries  to  the 
public  library,  to  its  enlargement,  and  with  no 
loss  of  members  to  the  schools.  Some  Sunday 
schools  in  cities  have  been  recognized  as  branch 
stations   of  the   public  library,   giving  them  the 


90  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

benefit  of  frequent  changes  in  the  equipment  of 
books,  which  at  regular  intervals  are  selected  from 
the  store  of  the  public  library  by  the  library  com- 
mittee of  the  school.  The  working  library  for 
teachers  and  scholars,  proposed  in  the  last  para- 
graph, in  many  places  might  be  established  in 
the  public  library,  wherever  the  schools  in  the 
community  will  unite  to  show  that  it  is  needed,  to 
name  the  books  required,  and  to  make  it  prac- 
tically useful. 


XII 


THE  MANAGEMENT  OF  THE  LIBRARY 

I.  Library  Committee.  For  the  selection  of 
books,  whether  in  the  reading  library  for  scholars 
or  the  working  library  for  teachers  and  scholars, 
a  wise,  intelligent,  and  careful  committee  should 
be  chosen,  and  should  be  maintained  in  per- 
manent service.  The  pastor  and  the  superintendent 
should  be  ex-officio  members  of  this  committee,  but 
it  should  also  include  some  other  persons  sufficiently 
acquainted  with  books  to  pass  upon  their  merits, 
and  willing  to  give  time,  inquiry,  and  thought  to 
the  library.  There  may  be  schools  fortunate  in 
possessing  librarians  who  devote  themselves  to  the 
selection  of  books,  as  well  as  to  the  care  of  them; 
and  in  such  schools  the  library  committees  will  find 
their  labors  lessened.  No  book  should  be  admitted 
to  the  library  without  examination  and  approval 
by  the  committee. 

(i)  Purchase  of  Books.  The  simplest  method 
for  finding  books  is  far  from  being  the  best  method. 
It  is  to  have  a  quantity  of  books — a  hundred  or 
more  at  one  time — sent  by  booksellers  on  approval. 
This  method  involves  hasty  examination,  and  gen- 
erally results  in  obtaining  many  useless,  worthless 
books  intermixed  with  a  few  good  ones.  The 
better  plan  is  for  the  committee,  first  of  all,  to  be 
supplied  with  catalogues  from  reputable  publishers 
of  books  for  children  and  young  people,  and  also 
books  on  religious  and  biblical  education;  next  to 

91 


92  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

read  carefully  the  reviews  of  books  in  these  depart- 
ments as  given  in  the  best  literary  and  religious 
periodicals;  then,  to  send  only  for  such  books  as 
they  judge  will  be  desirable,  receiving  them  on 
approval.  Every  book  should  not  only  be  looked 
at,  but  read;  and  if  at  all  doubtful  read  by  more 
than  one  member  of  the  committee.  In  some 
Sunday  schools  there  is  placed  at  the  door  a 
library  box,  in  which  may  be  deposited  the  names 
of  books  desired  by  members  of  the  school.  Lists 
of  approved  books  are  published  by  various  houses 
and  societies;  and  the  catalogues  of  a  few  good 
Sunday-school  libraries  will  aid  committees.  The 
library  committee  must  scrutinize  closely  all  dona- 
tions of  books  offered  to  the  library,  and  resolutely 
decline  every  book  that  is  unsuitable,  even  at  the 
risk  of  offending  the  donor.  The  Sunday-school 
library  room  must  not  be  turned  into  a  mausoleum 
for  dead  volumes.  The  committee  must  also  be- 
ware of  bargains  offered  by  some  booksellers  who 
would  unload  upon  Sunday  schools  their  left-over 
and  unsalable  stock.  That  which  costs  little  is 
generally  worth  less.  The  Sunday  school  must 
obtain  only  books  that  will  be  read  and  are  worth 
reading. 

(2)  Frequent  Additions.  The  usual  method  is  to 
use  the  old  library  until  its  best  books  are  either 
worn  out  or  lost,  and  then  to  make  a  strenuous 
effort  at  raising  money  for  the  purchase  of  an 
entirely  new  collection.  But  the  better  plan  is  to 
add  a  few  carefully  selected  books  each  month  to 
the  library.  To  examine  at  one  time  two  hundred 
volumes  is  an  impossibility,  and  in  so  large  a 
purchase  many  undesirable  books  are  sure  to  be 


Management  of  the  Library  93 

included.  It  is  not  difficult  to  select  after  careful 
examination  ten  books  each  month,  and  thereby 
keep  the  library  always  at  a  high  grade  of  ex- 
cellence. With  each  purchase  a  slip  describing 
the  new  books  might  be  printed,  and  distributed 
to  the  school,  thus  keeping  the  library  constantly 
before  its  patrons. 

2.  The  Librarian.  There  is  a  close  analogy  be- 
tween the  work  of  the  librarian  in  the  public 
library  and  that  in  the  Sunday  school.  For  the 
public  library  everywhere  a  specialist  is  sought,  one 
who  knows  books,  can  select  them  wisely,  and 
can  aid  seekers  after  literature  in  their  reading. 
The  Sunday  school  needs  just  such  a  librarian, 
and  all  the  more  because  the  scholars  cannot 
select  from  the  open  shelf,  but  must  guess  at  the 
quality  of  a  book  from  its  title  in  the  catalogue. 
It  has  been  noticed  that  wherever  a  Sunday-school 
library  is  successful  in  holding  the  interest  of  the 
scholars  there  is  found  with  it  a  librarian  adapted 
to  his  work  and  devoting  himself  to  it.  We  notice 
the  characteristics  of  a  good  librarian  in  the 
Sunday  school: 

(i)  A  Bookman.  He  is  a  lover  of  books,  ac- 
quainted with  them,  and  interested  in  good 
literature.  His  work  is  more  than  to  distribute 
books:  he  should  aid,  sometimes  supervise,  their 
collection. 

(2)  A  Business  Man.  He  is  practical,  orderly, 
and  systematic  in  his  ways  of  working;  with  a  plan 
for  his  task,  and  fidelity  in  accomplishing  it. 

(3)  Gentle  in  Manner.  Opportunities  will  be 
frequent  for  the  librarian  to  clash  with  the  scholars 
on  the  one  hand,  or  with  the  superintendent  upon 


94  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

the  other.  With  one  he  may  appear  arbitrary, 
with  the  other  disorderly,  his  work  sometimes 
breaking  into  the  program  of  exercises.  He  should 
be  pleasant  toward  all,  uniform  in  his  dealings, 
and  attentive  to  the  general  order  of  the  school. 

3.  His  Assistants.  In  most  schools  one  assistant, 
in  large  schools  several  assistants,  will  be  required 
by  the  librarian.  He  should  nominate  them,  sub- 
ject to  the  approval  of  the  governing  board  of  the 
school;  and  should  require  of  them  regular  and 
prompt  attendance,  and  attention  to  their  work  in 
the  library.  It  is  very  desirable  that  the  business 
should  be  so  arranged  as  to  allow  the  librarians 
to  take  part  in  the  opening  devotional  service 
with  the  school,  and  not  to  be  at  work  arranging 
books  while  others  are  at  prayer. 

4.  The  Management  of  the  Library.  This  involves 
four  processes:  the  collection,  the  assignment,  the 
distribution,  and  the  return  of  the  books. 

(i)  The  Collection.  The  books  can  easily  be 
collected  without  interfering  with  the  order  of  the 
school,  if  the  library  window  is  near  the  entrance 
to  the  building,  and  the  scholars  as  they  enter 
leave  their  books  at  the  library.  This  is  the 
method  employed  in  most  schools. 

(2)  The  Assignment.  How  to  enable  each  scholar 
to  choose  his  book  introduces  one  of  the  three 
problems  in  library  management.  The  plan  gen- 
erally followed  is  to  supply  each  scholar  with 
a  card  bearing  a  number  which  represents  the 
scholar.  He  selects  from  the  catalogue  a  large 
assortment  of  books,  and  writes  their  numbers 
upon  his  card :  the  librarian  assigns  the  scholar  any 
one  of  the  books  selected,  crosses  it  from  his  list, 


Management  of  the  Library  95 

and  upon  another  list  marks  the  number  of  the 
book  opposite  the  number  of  the  scholar.  The 
weakness  of  the  plan  is  in  the  fact  that  the  scholar 
has  no  means  of  learning  from  the  catalogue  what 
books  are  desirable;  and  a  book  desired  by  one 
may  be  entirely  undesirable  to  another.  Theoret- 
ically the  scholar  has  the  whole  catalogue  from 
which  to  choose;  practically  he  has  no  choice, 
except  the  suggestion  in  the  titles  of  the  books. 
The  open-shelf  plan  cannot  be  established  in  the 
Sunday  school,  for  the  room  is  usually  too  small, 
the  time  of  the  session  is  too  brief,  and  the  work 
of  the  school  too  important  to  allow  interruption. 

In  some  graded  Sunday  schools  another  plan  is 
pursued,  taking  from  the  scholar  all  choice,  but 
assigning  to  each  grade  books  of  certain  numbers, 
all  printed  upon  the  card  of  the  scholar,  any  one 
of  which  books  he  may  receive  at  any  time  during 
his  stay  in  the  grade,  but  each  of  which  will  fall 
to  his  lot  but  once.  This  plan  demands  a  library 
of  books  carefully  selected,  and  as  carefully  fitted 
to  each  grade  in  the  school.  But  this  method  is 
apt  to  be  unsatisfactory  to  the  scholars,  who  have 
their  own  preferences  among  the  books.  The 
difficulties  in  assigning  books,  and  disappointments 
of  scholars  in  failing  to  obtain  the  books  desired, 
is  a  frequent  cause  for  the  disuse  of  the  library; 
and  this  problem  has  not  as  yet  been  fully  solved. 

(3)  The  Distribution.  This  takes  place  at  the 
close  of  the  school,  and  brings  in  the  second 
problem  of  library  management.  The  books  may 
be  brought  to  the  classes  by  the  librarians,  and 
distributed  by  the  teachers;  each  scholar's  book 
being  indicated  by  his  card  placed  within  it.    This 


96  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

method  often  causes  confusion;  scholars  being  dis- 
satisfied with  their  books  and  leaving  their  classes 
press  around  the  library.  Sometimes  they  exchange 
books  with  each  other.  This  is  a  simple  plan  as 
far  as  the  two  scholars  exchanging  are  concerned, 
but  sure  to  make  trouble  in  the  record  of  the 
librarian.  Or  each  class  may  be  dismissed  in  turn, 
and  obtain  its  books  at  the  library  window  while 
passing  out.  But  this  plan  causes  a  congestion  of 
scholars  at  the  library,  and  also  requires  much 
time.  To  manage  the  distribution  of  books  de- 
mands a  strong  will,  coupled  with  a  gentle  manner 
in  maintaining  the  library  rules. 

(4)  The  Return.  The  theory  of  the  Sunday- 
school  library  is  that  each  scholar  will  bring  his 
book  back  after  a  week  or  two  weeks.  But  boys  and 
girls — sometimes  older  scholars  also — are  apt  to  be 
careless.  Books  are  exchanged  between  scholars, 
are  loaned  from  one  home  to  another,  are  forgotten, 
and  are  lost.  And  the  books  lost  most  readily  are 
frequently  those  that  are  most  sought  for  by  the 
scholars.  How  to  induce  scholars  invariably  to 
return  their  books  constitutes  the  third  problem 
of  library  management.  In  many  schools  the 
percentage  of  lost  books  is  exceedingly  large.  The 
librarian  should  do  his  utmost  to  reduce  the  loss 
to  a  minimum.  To  this  end  a  few  suggestions 
may  be  given : 

(a)  Record  of  Scholars.  Every  scholar's  name 
and  address,  with  his  library  number,  should  be 
kept  on  record  in  the  library;  and  every  effort 
should  be  made  to  make  the  record  conform  to  all 
changes  in  residence. 

(b)  Record  Sheet.    The  library  should  contain  a 


Management  of  the  Library  97 

record  sheet,  showing  the  number  of  every  book 
issued,  and  the  number  of  the  scholar  receiving  it; 
to  be  canceled  when  the  book  is  returned.  This 
will  show  who  is  responsible  for  every  book  out 
of  its  place  from  the  library. 

(c)  Fines.  A  fine  should  be  assessed  upon  the 
scholar  for  every  book  kept  over  time;  and  notice 
sent  to  the  scholar  at  his  home  when  a  fine  has 
become  due. 

(d)  Rewards.  Scholars  should  be  paid  a  reward, 
perhaps  of  ten  cents  for  each  book,  if  they  can 
succeed  in  tracing  and  finding  any  book  which 
has  been  out  of  the  library  two  months  or  more. 
These  plans,  or  others,  may  lessen,  but  no  plan 
will  entirely  remove,  the  evil  of  books  lost  to  the 
library  through  neglect  or  a  worse  crime. 


XIII 

THE   TEACHER'S    QUALIFICATIONS   AND    NEED 
OF  TRAINING 

While  the  superintendent  in  the  school  is  the 
moving  and  guiding  intelligence,  the  pulse  of  the 
machine,  the  teacher  in  the  class  is  the  worker 
at  the  anvil,  or  the  loom,  or  the  lathe,  for  whom 
all  the  plans  are  made,  and  upon  whom  all  the 
success  depends.  In  the  warfare  for  souls  he  is 
on  the  picket  line  and  at  close  range,  fighting 
face  to  face  and  hand  to  hand.  The  sphere  of  his 
effort  is  small,  that  group  gathered  around  him 
for  an  hour  on  Sunday,  but  in  that  little  field  his 
is  the  work  that  counts  for  the  final  victory.  His 
task  requires  peculiar  adaptedness,  supplemented 
by  special  training. 

I.  His  Qualifications.  There  are  on  the  American 
continent  not  less  than  a  million  and  a  half  Sunday- 
school  teachers,  who  give  to  the  gospel  their 
free-will  offering  of  time,  and  toil,  and  thought. 
They  are  not  like  civil  engineers  or  the  majority 
of  public-school  teachers,  graduates  of  schools  that 
have  given  them  training  for  a  special  vocation. 
In  every  respect  they  are  laymen,  engaged  for  six 
days  in  secular  work,  and  on  one  day  finding  an 
avocation  in  the  Sunday  school.  Yet  there  are 
certain  traits,  partly  natural  and  partly  acquired, 
which  they  must  possess,  if  they  are  to  find  success 
in  their  Sabbath-day  service. 

(i)    A    Sincere    Disciple.     The    Sunday-school 

98 


The  Teacher's  Qualifications  99 

teacher  must  be  a  follower  of  Christ,  not  merely 
in  profession  but  in  spirit.  He  is  one  who  has 
met  his  Lord,  has  heard  and  has  obeyed  the  call, 
"Follow  me."  He  enlisted  in  the  grand  army  of 
which  Christ  is  the  Commander,  before  he  received 
his  assignment  to  the  army  corps  of  the  Sunday 
school,  and  his  fidelity  to  the  department  is  in- 
spired by  his  deeper  loyalty  to  his  Lord.  It  is 
eminently  desirable  that  the  Sunday-school  teacher 
should  be  a  member  of  the  church;  but  it  is  imper- 
ative that  he  should  be  a  disciple  of  Christ. 

(2)  A  Lover  of  Youth.  By  far  the  largest  pro- 
portion of  scholars  in  the  Sunday  school,  perhaps 
nine  tenths,  are  under  twenty-five  years  of  age. 
Therefore,  with  few  exceptions,  the  teachers  must 
deal  with  young  people ;  and  youth  at  all  its  stages 
is  not  easy  to  understand  and  to  manage.  More- 
over, the  fact  that  not  only  the  teachers,  but  to 
a  large  extent  the  scholars,  are  volunteers  enters 
into  the  problem.  Pupils  attend  the  week-day 
school  and  submit  to  a  teacher's  rule  because  they 
must,  whether  their  teachers  are  acceptable  or  are 
disliked.  But  the  rule  in  the  Sunday  school  is 
not  the  law  of  authority;  it  is  the  law  of  persuasion. 
The  teacher  who  cannot  draw  his  scholars,  but 
repels  them,  soon  finds  himself  without  a  class. 
In  all  teaching  sympathy,  or  the  coordination  be- 
tween the  interest  of  the  teacher  in  the  pupil  and 
of  the  pupil  in  the  teacher,  is  a  strong  factor  in 
success;  but  in  the  Sunday  school  it  is  an  absolute 
necessity  by  reason  of  the  voluntary  element  in  the 
constitution  of  the  Sunday  school.  That  mystic 
power  which  will  combine  uncongenial  spirits,  and 
fuse  the  hearts  of  teacher  and  scholar  into  one, 


loo  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

is  love.  Let  the  teacher  love  his  scholars,  let  him 
see  in  each  pupil  some  quality  to  inspire  love, 
and  the  battle  is  half  won.  Love  will  quicken 
tact,  and  love  and  tact  together  will  win  the  com- 
plete victory. 

(3)  A  Lover  of  the  Scriptures.  Whatever  the 
Sunday  school  of  to-morrow  may  become,  the 
Sunday  school  of  to-day  is  preeminently  a  Bible 
school.  There  are  tendencies  in  our  time  which 
may  in  another  generation  render  the  Bible  less 
prominent,  and  introduce  into  the  Sunday  school 
studies  in  church  history,  in  social  science,  in 
moral  reform,  in  missions,  perhaps  in  comparative 
religion,  or  in  some  other  departments  of  knowl- 
edge. But  as  yet  the  great  text-book  of  the 
school  is  the  Holy  Scriptures.  The  volume  should 
be  in  the  hand  of  every  teacher  and  of  every 
scholar  during  the  school  session;  and  the  teacher, 
especially,  must  study  it  during  the  week.  If  all 
of  the  Bible  that  he  knows  is  contained  in  the 
paragraphs  assigned  for  the  coming  lesson,  and  the 
rest  of  the  book  is  sealed  to  his  eyes,  he  will  be 
a  very  poor  teacher.  He  needs  to  have  his  mind 
stored  with  a  thousand  facts,  and  to  have  these 
facts  systematized,  in  order  to  teach  ten;  and  the 
nine  hundred  and  ninety  which  he  knows  will  add 
all  their  weight  to  the  ten  which  he  tells. 

(4)  A  Willing  Worker.  The  teacher's  love  for 
Christ,  for  his  scholars,  and  for  his  Bible  is  not 
to  expend  itself  in  emotion  or  even  in  study; 
it  is  to  find  expression  in  efficient  service.  A  task 
is  laid  upon  him  which  will  demand  much  of  his 
time  and  his  power  of  body,  mind,  and  spirit. 
He   must   be   ready   to   meet    his   class   fifty-two 


The  Teacher's  Qualifications  lol 

Sundays  in  the  year:  on  days  of  sunshine  and  days 
of  storm;  when  he  is  eager  for  the  work,  and  when 
he  is  weary  in  it;  when  his  scholars  are  responsive, 
and  when  they  are  careless;  when  his  fellow 
workers  are  congenial,  and  when  they  are  anti- 
pathetic; when  his  lesson  is  easy  to  teach,  and 
when  it  is  hard.  He  must  be  regular  in  his  service, 
not  turned  aside  by  opportunities  of  enjoyment 
elsewhere;  and  he  must  give  to  it  all  his  powers 
and  all  his  skill.  Work  such  as  this  can  be  sus- 
tained only  by  an  enduring  enthusiasm,  a  devo- 
tion to  the  cause;  and  therefore  the  teacher  must 
have  his  heart  enlisted  as  well  as  his  will. 

As  a  Sunday-school  teacher,  then,  four  har- 
monious objects  will  claim  a  share  in  his  love:  his 
Lord,  his  scholars,  his  Bible,  and  his  work. 

2.  His  Need  of  Training.  For  two  generations  it 
was  supposed  that  any  person  fairly  intelligent, 
without  special  equipment,  was  fitted  to  be  a 
Sunday-school  teacher.  There  are  found  no  records 
of  training  classes  in  Sunday-school  work  earlier 
than  1855,  when  the  Rev.  John  H.  Vincent  began 
to  gather  young  people  and  train  them  for  service 
in  his  Sunday  school  at  Irvington,  New  Jersey. 
The  seed  of  his  "Palestine  Class"  grew  into  the 
"Normal  Class";  and  by  1869  there  were  in  a 
few  places  classes  for  the  teaching  of  teachers  in 
the  Bible  and  Sunday-school  work.  It  is  not 
remarkable  that  Sunday-school  teacher-training 
should  be  delayed  so  long  after  the  organization 
of  the  first  Sunday  school,  when  it  is  remembered 
that  in  America  the  first  Normal  School  for  secular 
teachers  was  not  founded  until  1839.  The  Chau- 
tauqua movement,  begun  in  1874,  gave  a  strong 


I02  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

impetus  to  Sunday-school  teacher-training;  the 
state  associations  and  denominational  organizations 
took  up  the  work ;  and  now  teacher-training  classes 
are  to  be  found  in  every  state  and  province  on  the 
American  continent.  The  thoroughly  graded  school 
includes  in  its  system  a  class  for  the  training  of 
young  people  who  are  to  be  teachers. 

It  is  late  in  the  day  to  inquire  why  the  Sunday- 
school  teacher  needs  training;  but  the  question  is 
often  asked,  and  the  answers  are  ready: 

(i)  The  General  Principle.  All  good  work  in- 
volves the  prerequisite  of  training.  Especially  is 
this  true  of  teaching;  and  there  is  a  reason  why 
the  principle  holds  with  regard  to  the  Sunday- 
school  teacher  even  more  directly  than  with  the 
secular  teacher.  While  the  subjects  of  teaching  are 
vitally  important,  relating  to  character  and  efficient 
service,  the  time  for  teaching  is  short,  less  than 
an  hour  each  week,  in  contrast  to  the  twenty  or 
twenty- five  hours  in  the  week-day  school.  To 
make  an  impression  in  so  short  a  teaching  period, 
with  such  long  intervals  between  the  lessons,  de- 
mands that  the  teacher  be  one  who  possesses 
exceptional  fitness  for  his  work,  and  this  superior 
fitness  cannot  be  obtained  without  special  and 
thorough  training. 

(2)  The  Teacher's  Responsibility.  All-important 
as  is  the  work  of  religious  teaching,  for  which  the 
Bible  is  the  chief  text-book  in  the  church,  there 
is  but  one  institution  in  our  time  charged  with 
that  mighty  duty,  and  that  is  the  Sunday  school. 
The  Bible  is  rarely  taught  in  the  home,  which 
should  be  the  first  place  for  teaching  it;  it  is  only 
incidentally  taught  in  the  pulpit,  of  which  the  aim 


The  Teacher's  Qualifications  1 03 

is  not  so  much  instruction  as  inspiration.  Prac- 
tically all  the  teaching  of  the  Bible  now  devolves 
upon  the  Sunday  school,  and  the  Sunday  school 
only.  If  the  Sunday  schools  of  the  world  for  one 
generation  should  fail  to  teach  the  word  of  life, 
the  knowledge  of  that  word  would  well-nigh  cease. 
And  the  one  person  charged  with  that  task,  the 
one  on  whom  the  responsibility  rests,  is  the  Sunday- 
school  teacher.  He  who  is  intrusted  with  so  great 
a  work,  and  upon  whose  fidelity  the  work  depends, 
must  have  a  proper  equipment ;  and  that  equipment 
presupposes  training. 

(3)  The  Demand  of  the  Age.  We  are  living  in 
an  intellectual  age,  unparalleled  in  the  history  of 
the  world.  The  boundaries  of  knowledge  in  every 
direction  have  widened,  and  in  each  realm  the 
search  is  deeper  and  more  thorough.  Such  wealth 
has  been  added  through  recent  investigations  to 
the  store  of  Bible  knowledge  that  most  com- 
mentaries, expositions,  and  introductions  of  the 
past  have  now  but  slight  value.  Another  exceed- 
ingly important  realm  that  has  been  added  to  the 
domain  of  knowledge  is  that  of  child  study,  but 
recently  an  unexplored  field,  now  open  to  every 
reader.  In  such  a  time  as  this  the  teacher  who 
would  impart  the  contents  of  the  Bible  to  the 
young  must  have  eyes  and  mind  opened.  He  must 
know  the  results  of  modern  investigation  in 
the  Scriptures  and  in  the  nature  of  those  whom 
he  teaches.  His  pupils  are  under  the  care  of 
trained  and  alert  specialists  through  the  week; 
they  must  receive  instruction  from  well-taught 
minds  in  the  Sunday  school. 

(4)  The  Teacher  a^td  His  Class.     The  peculiar 


I04  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

relation  already  referred  to  as  existing  between  the 
Sunday-school  teacher  and  his  class  presents  an- 
other incentive  to  training.  His  relation  is  not  like 
that  of  the  secular  teacher,  who  speaks  with 
authority,  and  can  command  attention  and  study. 
The  teacher  in  Sunday  school  cannot  require  his 
scholars  to  learn  the  lesson;  the  authority  of  the 
parent  is  rarely  employed  to  compel  home  study; 
and  as  a  result  most  of  our  scholars  come  to  the 
Sunday  school  unprepared.  This  is  not  the  ideal 
or  the  ultimate  condition,  but  unfortunately  it  is 
still  the  real  condition  in  at  least  nine  out  of  ten 
Sunday-school  classes.  This  condition  makes  the 
demand  upon  the  teacher  all  the  greater.  Because 
his  scholars  are  unprepared  he  must  be  all  the 
better  prepared.  He  must  be  able  to  awaken  and 
arouse  his  pupils;  he  must  inspire  them  to  an 
interest  in  the  lesson;  he  must  so  teach  as  to  lead 
them  into  knowledge  of  the  truth  and  a  desire  to 
seek  it  for  themselves.  Anyone  can  teach  the 
scholar  who  is  eager  to  learn;  but  to  teach  those 
who  come  to  the  class  unprepared  and  careless, 
to  send  them  away  with  a  clear-cut  understanding 
of  the  lesson,  and  an  awakened  intelligence  and 
conscience — all  this,  under  the  conditions  of  the 
Sunday-school  teacher's  task,  and  in  his  peculiar 
relation  to  his  scholars,  requires  not  only  ability, 
but  also  thoroughly  trained  ability. 

In  view  of  all  these  considerations,  it  is  not 
surprising  that  at  the  opening  of  the  twentieth 
century  the  demand  of  the  Sunday  schools  every- 
where is  for  better  teaching,  and  for  teachers  who 
have  themselves  been  taught  and  are  able  to 
teach  others. 


XIV 

THE  TRAINING  AND  TASK  OF  THE  TEACHER 

I.  The  Training  Needed.  Many  faithful  workers 
in  the  Sunday  school  realize  their  need  of  prepara- 
tion; but,  while  conscious  of  unfitness,  they  have 
no  clear  conception  of  the  equipment  which  they 
require.  What  are  those  fields  of  knowledge  which 
should  be  traversed  by  one  who  has  been  called 
to  teach  in  the  Sunday  school?  They  comprise 
four  departments:  (i)  the  Book,  (2)  the  scholar, 
(3)  the  school,  and  (4)  the  work. 

(i)  The  Book.  We  have  already  noted  that  the 
Sunday  school  is  differentiated  from  other  systems 
of  education  in  the  fact  that  it  uses  mainly  but 
one  text-book,  the  Holy  Scriptures.  For  that 
reason  the  teacher  must  first  of  all  acquaint  him- 
self as  thoroughly  as  possible  with  the  contents  of 
that  wonderful  volume.  He  should  be  a  twentieth 
century  Bible  student;  not  a  student  or  a  scholar 
according  to  the  light  of  the  Middle  Ages,  or  the 
seventeenth  century,  or  even  of  the  first  half  of 
the  nineteenth  century;  for  in  all  those  periods  the 
aims,  the  methods,  and  the  scope  of  Bible  study 
were  different  from  those  of  the  present  time. 
He  who  is  to  teach  the  Bible  successfully  to-day 
must  have  some  knowledge  of  the  Bible  in  the 
following  aspects: 

(a)  Its  Origin  and  Nature.  He  must  have 
a  definite  idea  of  how  the  sixty-six  books  of 
Scripture    were    composed,     written,    and     pre- 

105 


lo6  Organizing  the  Sunday  School' 

served;  and,  as  far  as  may  be  known,  who  were 
their  authors. 

(b)  Its  History.  The  Bible  is,  more  than  any- 
thing else,  a  book  of  history,  containing  the  record 
of  a  people  who  received  the  divine  revelation  and 
preserved  it.  The  divine  revelation  cannot  be 
taught  nor  comprehended  unless  the  annals  of  that 
remarkable  people,  the  Israelites,  be  first  read  and 
understood.  Therefore  biblical  history  should  be 
the  first  subject  to  be  studied  by  the  teacher  in 
the  Sunday  school.  The  leading  facts  and  under- 
lying principles  of  that  unique  history  must  be 
understood;  not  in  an  outline  of  minute  details, 
but  as  a  general  landscape,  in  which  each  lesson 
of  the  Bible  will  take  its  place. 

(c)  Its  Geographical  Background.  The  Bible 
brings  before  us  a  world  of  natural  features  which 
remain — seas,  mountains,  valleys,  and  plains;  a 
world  of  political  divisions  which  has  passed  away; 
its  empires,  kingdoms,  and  tribal  relations;  and 
cities  and  towns,  some  of  them  now  desolate, 
others  in  poverty  and  in  ruin.  The  teacher  who 
is  to  instruct  his  pupils  must  be  able  to  see  those 
abiding  elements,  and  by  the  aid  of  his  historical 
imagination  to  reconstruct  those  that  have  changed. 
He  must  make  that  ancient  world  of  the  Bible 
roll  like  a  panorama  before  the  eyes  of  his  mind. 

(d)  Its  Institutions.  Upon  every  page  of  the 
Bible  are  stamped  pictures  of  manners,  customs, 
institutions,  forms  of  worship,  that  are  unfamiliar 
to  our  Christian,  Anglo-Saxon,  modem  world.  The 
teacher  must  become  familiar  with  this  local  color 
of  another  civilization,  and  enable  his  class  to  see 
it  through  his  eyes. 


Training  and  Task  of  the  Teacher  I07 

(e)  Its  Ethical  and  Religious  Teaching.  In  the 
past,  and  until  a  generation  ago,  the  Bible  was 
studied  only  for  its  doctrines.  It  was  generally 
treated  as  one  book,  all  written  at  once  and  by 
one  author;  its  history,  biography,  institutions, 
were  passed  over  as  unimportant;  while  every 
sentence  was  searched  for  some  light  upon  theology. 
From  the  Bible,  by  assorting  and  grouping  its 
texts  out  of  every  book,  a  system  of  doctrine  was 
constructed;  and  the  mastery  of  this  system  with 
its  proof-texts  was  regarded  as  the  principal  work 
of  the  Bible  student.  That  method  of  Bible  study 
has  justly  fallen  into  disuse  among  modem 
scholars.  The  Bible  is  now  looked  upon  as  a  record 
of  life  rather  than  as  a  treasury  of  texts.  Yet  its 
stream  of  ethical,  religious,  and  spiritual  teaching 
must  be  found  and  followed  by  the  student  who 
is  to  teach  the  truth;  and  the  doctrines  revealed 
through  the  Bible  should  be  regarded  as  a  necessary 
part  of  his  training. 

(2)  The  Scholar.  One  book  must  be  studied 
closely  by  the  teacher,  and  that  is  his  pupils. 
During  the  last  thirty  years  human  nature  in  all 
its  stages,  as  child,  as  youth,  during  adolescence, 
and  in  maturity — especially  in  the  earlier  periods — 
has  been  investigated  as  never  before.  The  student 
in  our  time  can  enter  into  the  results  of  special 
study  upon  these  subjects.  He  needs  to  know 
what  the  best  books  can  give  him  of  child  study 
and  mind  study;  and  to  supplement  book-knowl- 
edge in  this  department  with  watchful  eyes  and 
close  thought  upon  the  traits  which  he  finds  in 
his  own  scholars. 

(3)  The  School.     The   teacher   in   the   Sunday 


108  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

school  needs  to  understand  the  institution  wherein 
he  is  a  worker.  The  Sunday  school  is  like  the 
week-day  school,  yet  unlike  it;  and  the  teacher 
must  be  able  to  appreciate  at  once  what  he  can 
follow  and  what  he  should  avoid  in  the  methods 
of  the  secular  school.  The  history  of  the  Sunday- 
school  movement,  its  fundamental  principles,  its 
organization,  officers,  methods  of  management,  and 
aims — all  these  are  in  the  scope  of  the  teacher's 
preparation. 

(4)  The  Work.  Whether  on  Sunday  or  on 
Monday,  a  teacher  is  after  all  a  teacher,  and 
the  laws  of  true  teaching  are  the  same  in  a 
Sunday  school,  in  a  public  school,  and  in  a 
college.  The  application  of  those  laws  may 
vary  according  to  the  ages  of  pupils,  the  sub- 
jects of  instruction,  and  the  aims  of  the  insti- 
tution, but  the  principles  are  unchanging.  Those 
enduring  principles  of  instruction  are  well  un- 
derstood, are  set  down  in  text-books,  and  can 
easily  be  learned  by  a  student.  There  are  success- 
ful teachers  who  know  these  principles  by  an 
intuition  that  they  cannot  explain;  but  most  people 
will  save  themselves  from  many  mistakes  and 
comparative  failure  by  a  close  study  of  modern 
educational  methods. 

In  some  way  knowledge  in  all  these  four  great 
departments  of  training  should  be  obtained  by  the 
teacher,  if  possible,  before  he  enters  upon  his  task; 
but  if  he  has  missed  earlier  opportunities  of 
preparation  he  must  acquire  this  knowledge  even 
while  he  is  teaching.  The  outlines  of  such  a  course 
of  study  should  be  given  in  the  training  class  for 
young  people;  and  such  a  training  class  should  be 


Training  and  Task  of  the  Teacher  I09 

regarded  as  essential  to  every  well-organized 
school. 1 

2.  The  Teacher's  Task.  All  the  preparation 
briefly  outlined  in  these  last  paragraphs  is  only 
preparatory  to  the  work  which  the  teacher  is  to 
do  in  his  vocation.  The  task  set  before  the  teacher 
is  fourfold: 

(i)  As  a  Student.  The  studies  named  above  are 
not  completed  when  the  teacher  has  passed  out 
of  the  training  class  with  a  certificate  of  gradua- 
tion. The  public-school  teacher  who  ceases  to 
study  after  finishing  the  course  of  the  normal 
school  is  foredoomed  to  failure.  The  training  class 
or  the  training  school  has  only  outlined  before  the 
teacher  the  fields  to  be  traversed,  and  shown  him 
a  few  paths  which  he  may  follow.  He  who  has 
undertaken  to  teach  a  group  of  scholars,  whether 
in  the  Beginners  Department,  the  Senior  Depart- 
ment, or  any  grade  between  them,  must  continue 
his  studies,  in  the  Bible,  in  the  specific  course  of 
graded  lessons  which  he  is  teaching,  and  in  general 
knowledge;  for  there  is  no  department  of  thought 
or  action  which  will  not  bring  tribute  to  the 
teacher,  to  be  turned  into  treasure  for  his  class. 
The  Sunday-school  teacher  must  ever  maintain  an 
open  mind,  a  quick  eye,  and  a  spirit  eager  for 
knowledge.  His  accumulation  will  prove  a  store 
upon  which  to  draw  for  teaching;  and  even  that 
unused  will  give  its  weight  to  truth  imparted  to 
his  class. 

(i)  As  a  Frietid.  The  teacher  is  more  than  a 
student   dealing  with  books;   he   is  a  living  soul 


1  For  detailed  methods  and  plans,  see  the  volume  of  this  series  on 
The  Training  of  Sunday  School  Teachers. 


1 10  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

in  contact  with  living  souls.  If  the  most  masterly 
lesson  teaching  in  the  realm  of  thought  could  be 
spoken  into  a  phonograph,  and  then  ground  out 
before  a  class,  it  would  fail  to  teach,  for  it  would 
utterly  lack  the  human  element.  Knowledge 
counts  for  much  in  teaching,  but  personality  counts 
for  far  more.  If  a  teacher  is  to  be  successful  he 
must  have  a  close  relationship  with  his  class.  They 
must  know  him,  he  must  know  them,  and  there 
must  be  a  common  interest,  nay,  a  common 
affection,  between  the  two  personalities  of  teacher 
and  pupil.  He  must  be  a  friend  to  each  one  of 
his  scholars,  schooling  himself,  if  need  be,  to  friend- 
ship; and  each  of  his  scholars  must  be  made  to 
realize  that  his  teacher  is  his  friend.  This  personal 
affection  need  not  always  be  stated  in  words.  The 
teacher  who  constantly  assures  his  scholars  that  he 
loves  them  will  not  be  believed  as  readily  as  the 
one  who  shows  his  love  in  his  spirit  and  his  acts, 
even  though  he  may  refrain  from  affectionate 
forms  of  speech. 

(3)  As  a  Teacher.  Teaching  requires  more  than 
the  possession  of  an  abundant  store  of  information 
upon  any  subject.  He  is  not  a  teacher  who  simply 
pours  forth  upon  the  ears  of  his  pupils  an  undi- 
gested mass  of  facts,  however  valuable  those  facts 
may  be.  The  true  teacher  after  large  preparation 
assorts  his  material,  and  selects  such  matter  as  is 
appropriate  to  his  own  class.  This  he  arranges 
in  a  form  to  be  readily  received,  thoroughly  com- 
prehended, and  easily  remembered.  He  comes  be- 
fore his  class  with  the  fixed  purpose  that  every 
pupil  shall  carry  away  with  him  a  knowledge  of 
the   lesson,    and   shall   not   forget   it.      He   must 


Training  and  Task  of  the  Teacher  1 1 1 

awaken  the  pupil's  attention;  for  talking  to  an 
inattentive  group  of  people  accomplishes  no  more 
than  preaching  to  tombstones  in  a  graveyard.  He 
must  obtain  the  cooperation  of  the  pupil's  interest, 
and  induce  him  to  think  upon  the  subject.  He 
must  call  forth  from  his  pupil  some  expression  of 
his  thought  in  language,  for  one  is  never  sure  of 
his  knowledge  until  he  has  shaped  it  into  words; 
and  that  which  the  pupil  has  stated  he  is  much 
surer  to  remember  than  that  which  he  has  merely 
heard.  Teaching,  then,  involves  (i)  selection  of 
material,  (2)  adaptation  of  material,  (3)  presenta- 
tion of  truth,  (4)  awakening  thought,  (5)  calling 
forth  expression,  (6)  fixing  knowledge  in  the 
memory. 

(4)  As  a  Disciple.  It  is  the  teacher's  task  not 
only  to  impart  to  his  scholars  valuable  information 
about  the  Bible,  about  God,  about  Christ,  and 
about  salvation;  but,  far  more  than  imparting  an 
intellectual  knowledge,  to  bring  the  living  word 
into  relation  with  living  souls,  to  inspire  a  fellow- 
ship of  his  pupils  with  God,  to  have  Christ  founded 
within  them,  to  make  salvation  through  Christ 
their  joyous  possession.  Nor  is  his  work  as  a 
working  disciple  accomplished  when  all  his  scholars 
have  become  Christians  in  possession  and  pro- 
fession, and  members  of  Christ's  Church.  By  his 
example  and  his  teachings  he  should  lead  them 
to  efficient  service  for  Christ  in  the  church,  in 
the  community,  and  in  the  state.  There  is  work 
for  every  member  in  the  church,  and  work  for 
everyone  possessing  the  spirit  of  Christ  in  the 
community.  Whatever  may  have  been  the  type 
of  a  saint  in  the  twelfth  century,  or  in  the  six- 


1  1  2  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

teenth,  or  even  in  the  early  nineteenth  century,  in 
these  stirring,  strenuous  years  of  the  twentieth 
century  the  disciple  of  Christ  is  a  man  among 
men  or  a  woman  among  women,  active  in  the 
effort  to  make  the  world  better,  and  to  establish 
in  his  own  village,  or  town,  or  ward  of  the  city, 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  on  earth.  To  inspire  his 
scholars  for  such  labors,  and  to  lead  them,  is  the 
supreme  opportunity  and  work  of  the  teacher. 


XV 

THE  CONSTITUENCY  OF  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

I.  Relation  to  the  Community.  The  Sunday 
school  is  a  temple  built  of  living  stones;  and  the 
quarry  from  which  they  are  taken  in  the  rough, 
to  be  cut  and  polished  for  their  places  in  the 
building,  is  the  entire  community  in  which  the 
school  is  placed.  In  our  time,  more  than  ever 
before,  the  reasons  are  imperative  why  special 
study  should  be  given  to  the  community  from 
which  the  school  must  draw  its  members.  Certain 
principles  of  administration  will  become  apparent 
when  once  the  field  is  carefully  considered. 

(i)  Constituency  Adjacent.  The  population  from 
which  a  given  Sunday  school  draws  its  members 
must  be  generally  that  immediately  around  it. 
Some  teachers  and  scholars  may  come  from  a 
distance,  but  even  in  this  age  of  convenient  transit 
by  trains  and  trolley  cars,  it  is  found  that,  taking 
the  church  building  as  a  center,  the  constituency 
of  the  Sunday  school  in  a  city  is  mostly  within  a 
radius  of  half  a  mile,  and  in  the  country  within 
a  mile.  Throughout  that  sphere  of  influence  the 
church  should  look  well  to  the  population,  should 
know  its  proportionate  elements,  as  far  as  possible 
should  come  into  acquaintance  with  the  families, 
and  should  plan  to  win,  to  evangelize,  and  to  hold 
all  its  natural  following. 

(2)  Membership  Representative.  Upon  general 
and  almost  invariable  principles,  the  Sunday  school 

113 


114  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

should  represent  all  the  elements  of,  the  population 
within  its  environment.  If  it  be  a  residence  section 
with  isolated  houses,  each  containing  but  one 
family  of  well-to-do  people,  the  church  is  apt  to 
be  a  family  church,  and  a  large  Sunday  school 
must  not  be  looked  for,  since  large  mansions  rarely 
contain  large  families.  If,  on  the  other  hand, 
the  neighborhood  be  populous,  characterized  by 
varied  strata  of  society — a  few  rich,  a  goodly 
number  fairly  prosperous,  and  a  greater  mass  of 
wage-earners,  yet  the  section  as  a  whole  American 
and  not  foreign  in  its  civilization — then  a  flourish- 
ing, active,  and  growing  Sunday  school  should  be 
expected.  And  it  should  embrace  all  these  ele- 
ments, the  rich,  the  middle  class,  and  the  wage- 
earners,  in  the  proportion  which  each  bears  to 
the  community  as  a  whole.  If  the  school  in  such 
a  population  be  small,  or  if  it  be  composed  exclu- 
sively of  one  class,  whether  it  be  the  so-called 
better  class  or  the  mission  class,  there  is  a  serious 
error  in  its  policy.  The  true  Sunday  school  should 
be  representative  of  all  the  elements  in  the  popula- 
tion. It  is  both  a  crime  and  a  blunder  to  limit 
the  efforts  of  a  Sunday  school  to  one  class  of 
society:  a  crime,  because  such  a  school  leaves 
multitudes  around  it  to  perish;  and  a  blunder, 
because  the  effort  results  in  an  anasmic,  dwindling, 
dying  institution. 

(3)  Methods  Adapted.  Almost  every  community, 
whether  in  city  or  in  country,  possesses  some 
traits  peculiar  to  itself.  There  may  be  two  towns 
ten  miles  apart,  one  the  wealthy  residential  suburb 
of  a  city,  the  other  a  settlement  surrounding  a 
great  factory.    The  population  of  these  two  places 


The  Constituency  of  the  School  I  I  5 

will  be  in  marked  contrast,  and  the  methods  of 
Christian  work  successful  in  one  will  utterly  fail  in 
the  other.  One  street  or  avenue  in  a  city  may 
mark  the  boundary  line  between  family  churches 
and  mission  churches.  Within  ten  minutes'  walk 
of  each  other  may  stand  two  churches  of  the  same 
denomination,  yet  so  utterly  apart  in  spirit  as  to 
possess  nothing  in  common  but  name.  It  is 
possible  that  each  of  these  two  organizations  might 
learn  something  from  the  other,  and  might  do 
their  Master's  work  better  by  a  closer  community 
of  interest  and  feeling.  Yet  it  would  be  a  mis- 
take to  introduce  into  either  church  all  the  plans 
that  are  successful  in  the  other;  or  to  reject  in 
one  Sunday  school  any  method  because  it  has 
proved  a  failure  in  another  and  a  different  field. 
The  work  of  each  church  and  Sunday  school  must 
be  adapted  to  the  population  from  which  its 
membership  is  to  be  drawn. 

2.  The  Changing  Population.  One  of  the  most 
imperative  questions  confronting  the  gospel  worker, 
both  in  the  church  and  the  Sunday  school,  arises 
from  the  constant  changes  taking  place  in  our 
population.  In  the  cities  we  see  stately  churches, 
once  thronged,  now  well-nigh  desolate,  while  their 
walls  echo  to  the  tread  upon  the  sidewalk  of  a 
churchless  multitude.  In  front  of  a  fine  old 
church,  where  once  millionaires  worshiped,  the 
writer  has  often  passed  a  news-stand  upon  which 
are  for  sale  newspapers  in  seven  different  lan- 
guages. And  too  often  one  finds  that  the  churches 
of  a  generation  ago  have  been  turned  into  low 
theaters,  or  torn  down,  giving  place  to  stores  and 
office  buildings.    The  general  principle  may  be  laid 


1  1 6  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

down,  that  a  church  in  the  city  almost  never  lives 
more  than  one  generation  in  the  same  building 
and  with  the  same  character.  After  thirty  years 
as  the  very  longest  period,  if  it  is  to  retain  its 
members,  it  must  follow  them  in  the  march  up- 
town; or  if  it  is  to  retain  its  location  and  still 
hold  a  congregation  it  must  seek  an  absolutely 
new  constituency,  and  to  this  end  must  transform 
its  methods  of  work.  Nor  are  these  migrations  of 
population  confined  to  the  city.  The  towns  and 
villages  are  governed  by  the  same  law  of  change. 
A  village,  once  the  seat  of  quiet  homes,  is  suddenly 
turned  into  a  factory  town,  with  a  new  and  strange 
population.  The  farms  on  country  roads,  aban- 
doned by  the  families  that  formerly  tilled  them, 
are  occupied  by  foreigners  of  alien  speech  and 
manners.  The  building  of  a  railroad  will  open 
new  towns,  and  at  the  same  time  will  make  more 
than  one  deserted  village.  These  changes  in 
population  must  be  considered  in  their  relation  to 
the  work  of  the  Sunday  school.  The  movement 
will  be  characterized  by  varied  traits  in  different 
places. 

(i)  A  Growing  Population.  The  change  may  be 
that  of  a  healthy  growth  in  population,  making 
the  community  a  desirable  place  for  a  church  and 
a  Sunday  school.  Such  a  development  is  constantly 
taking  place  in  the  newer  portions  of  a  city, 
whose  population  is  moving  from  the  center  to 
the  rim;  or  it  may  be  noted  in  suburban  towns, 
as  facilities  of  transportation  bring  new  residents 
from  the  metropolis;  or  it  may  appear  in  villages 
springing  up  on  the  line  of  a  railroad,  where  home- 
seekers    are    settling    and    building    habitations. 


The  Constituency  of  the  School  1 1 7 

Leaders  in  church  and  Sunday-school  work  must 
watch  these  growing  centers,  and  provide  wisely 
for  their  religious  needs.  It  will  not  suffice  to 
wait  for  these  newcomers  to  build  their  own 
churches  and  organize  their  own  Sunday  schools. 
Most  of  them  are  taxed  to  the  utmost  in  building 
or  buying  their  own  homes,  and  will  scarcely 
realize  their  need  until  the  habit  of  neglecting 
worship  has  become  fixed,  and  their  children  grow 
up  without  religious  education.  The  old  and  strong 
churches  must  extend  a  hand  to  the  settlers,  must 
preempt  church  sites  at  the  very  beginning,  must 
help  to  erect  chapels,  for  a  time  must  supply 
workers,  and  must  set  the  current  of  the  new 
settlement  God  ward  and  churchward.  The  reward 
of  their  labor  and  their  liberality  will  not  long  be 
delayed. 

(2)  A  Declining  Population.  There  are  places 
where  the  population  has  lessened,  making  the 
work  of  the  Sunday  school  increasingly  difficult  and 
its  results  meager.  It  may  be  in  the  city,  where 
business  has  crowded  away  the  dwellers  of  other 
years,  as  in  the  lower  end  of  Manhattan  Island 
in  New  York.  There  tall  office  buildings  and 
warehouses  stand  on  sites  formerly  occupied  by 
churches,  but  no  longer  needed,  now  that  almost 
the  only  residents  are  the  janitors  and  their 
families,  living  on  the  roofs  of  the  towerlike 
temples  of  trade.  But  oftener  the  region  of  the 
declining  population  is  found  in  the  country. 
Villages  once  prosperous  have  gradually  lost 
their  inhabitants.  In  places  where  three  or  four 
churches,  each  with  its  Sunday  school,  were  for- 
merly  well   supported,    there   is   now  scarcely   a 


1 1 8  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

constituency  for  one.  Yet  all  these  churches, 
though  decayed  and  dying  by  inches,  are  still 
maintained;  and  each  church  still  houses  a  dis- 
couraged Sunday  school,  attended  by  a  faithful 
few,  but  with  no  hope  of  growth  and  an  imminent 
peril  of  extinction.  If  loyalty  to  a  denomination 
could  give  way  to  love  for  the  kingdom  of  Christ, 
these  might  be  consolidated  into  one  church  and 
one  Sunday  school  for  all  the  community.  We 
venture  the  prophecy  that  before  the  twentieth 
century  comes  to  its  close  this  will  be  throughout 
the  American  continent  the  accepted  settlement  of 
the  question.  May  its  fulfillment  be  not  long 
delayed!  In  the  meantime  these  decayed  but 
still  enduring  Sunday  schools  and  churches  in  a 
community  should  seek  for  peace  and  friendship, 
not  emphasizing  the  points  of  doctrine  or  of 
system  that  differ,  but  those  that  agree,  and 
striving  to  maintain  the  unity  of  the  spirit  in  a 
bond  of  love. 

(3)  i4  Population  Changing  Socially.  A  serious 
problem  often  arises,  not  from  a  decline  but  from 
a  change  in  the  social  condition  of  the  population 
within  the  sphere  of  the  church.  The  downtown 
church  may  have  been  forsaken  by  its  former 
members,  but  people  of  another  class,  and  in 
greater  numbers,  have  taken  their  places.  The 
mansions  have  become  boarding  houses,  flats  and 
apartment  houses  have  arisen,  while  the  thronged 
sidewalks,  and  the  children  playing  in  the  streets, 
are  evidence  that  the  material  for  members  of  the 
church  and  the  Sunday  school  is  greater  than 
before.  True,  the  new  inhabitants  are  of  a  different 
social  order  from  the  old,  clerks  and  porters  instead 


The  Constituency  of  the  School  1 1 9 

of  merchants,  employees  instead  of  employers, 
working  people  in  place  of  the  leisure  class.  The 
fact  that  the  social  level  of  the  neighborhood  may 
be  regarded  by  the  worldly-minded  as  lower  than 
formerly  does  not  lessen  its  need  of  the  gospel, 
nor  render  it  less  promising  for  Christian  work. 
The  church  should  look  upon  its  field  with  unprej- 
udiced eyes,  should  have  an  understanding  of  the 
time;  should  be  alert  to  see  and  to  seize  its  oppor- 
tunity; and  should  change  its  methods  with  its 
changed  constituency.  The  field  must  not  be 
abandoned;  it  must  be  cultivated,  and  new  forms 
of  tillage  will  bring  forth  abundant  harvests. 

(4)  An  Alien  Population.  The  most  perplexing 
of  all  social  problems  arises  when  immigration  has 
swept  into  the  district  surrounding  the  church  a 
tide  of  people  whose  birth  and  speech  are  foreign, 
supplanting  and  in  large  measure  driving  out  the 
native  population.  There  are  sections  in  our  cities 
where  the  signs  on  the  stores  are  all  Bohemian, 
or  Polish,  or  Yiddish;  where  an  English-speaking 
church  would  remain  absolutely  empty,  though 
thousands  throng  the  streets.  It  may  be  that  in 
such  conditions  gospel  work  under  American 
methods  can  no  longer  be  maintained;  and  a 
removal  may  be  necessary.  But  even  in  the  most 
unpromising  fields  this  conclusion  should  not  be 
hastily  reached.  We  spend  large  sums  in  sending 
missionaries  to  the  lands  from  which  some  strangers 
come;  should  we  not  embrace  opportunities  of 
evangelizing  these  at  our  own  door?  There  are 
difficulties,  but  they  are  not  nearly  as  insuperable 
as  those  in  foreign  fields.  These  foreign-bom  or 
foreign-descended  children  sit  beside  our  own  in 


1  20  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

the  public  school;  should  we  shut  them  out  from 
our  Sunday  schools?  In  less  than  a  generation 
millions  of  these  boys  and  girls  will  be  as  thoroughly 
American  as  our  own  children.  When  we  consider 
the  question  of  abandoning  any  field  on  account  of 
its  foreign  population,  let  us  widen  our  horizon  of 
thought  to  embrace  the  future  as  well  as  the 
present,  and  then  form  our  conclusion  concerning 
the  duty  of  the  Sunday  school  to  the  community. 

3.  Practical  Suggestions.  A  few  hints,  some  of 
them  already  given,  may  summarize  the  practical 
side  of  the  subject : 

(i)  Study  the  Field.  The  Sunday  school  must 
live  not  in  the  past,  but  in  the  present,  with  a 
clear  vision  of  the  future.  It  must  not  only 
cherish  a  loving  memory  of  its  field  as  it  has  been, 
but  understand  thoroughly  what  it  is,  and  what 
forces  are  shaping  it  for  the  future.  The  leaders 
in  each  Sunday  school  working  for  itself,  or  pref- 
erably those  conducting  the  Sunday  schools  of  a 
neighborhood  working  unitedly,  should  ascertain 
the  nationality,  religious  condition,  and  church 
relations  of  every  family  in  the  district;  and  not 
only  of  every  family,  of  every  individual  who  may 
have  a  room  in  a  boarding  house.  Each  political 
organization  knows  the  residence  and  party  pro- 
clivities of  every  voter  in  the  district;  and  the 
churches  may  learn  from  the  politicians  practical 
lessons  upon  the  best  methods  of  work. 
.  (2)  Cultivate  the  Field.  Since  the  scholars  must 
come  to  the  school  from  the  population  around  it, 
they  should  be  sought,  brought  in,  taught,  and 
evangelized,  with  all  the  energy  and  wisdom  which 
the  church  possesses.     And  not  only  the  scholars, 


The  Constituency  of  the  School  1  2 1 

but  also,  in  large  degree,  the  teachers  must  be 
home-born  and  home-taught ;  therefore  the  Sunday 
school,  to  be  successful,  must  train  up  workers 
from  its  own  constituency. 

(3)  Provide  for  all  Elements.  By  diligent  and 
constant  effort  the  school  should  be  made  repre- 
sentative of  all  ages,  of  all  classes,  of  all  sections, 
and  as  far  as  practicable  of  all  races  found  in  its 
community. 

(4)  Adapt  Methods.  If  a  former  constituency 
has  removed  from  the  field,  and  a  new  population 
has  surged  in,  the  new  element  must  be  looked 
upon  as  the  constituency  of  the  school.  Its  needs 
must  be  recognized,  however  different  they  may  be 
from  the  needs  of  the  past;  and  plans  must  be 
formed  to  meet  those  needs,  whatever  transforma- 
tion of  the  school  the  new  plans  may  involve. 


XVI 

RECRUITING  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

I.  Necessity.  The  aspiration  for  advancement  is 
natural  and  noble;  and  therefore  every  member  of 
the  Sunday  school  who  is  interested  in  its  welfare, 
whether  officer,  teacher,  or  pupil,  desires  it  to 
increase  in  membership,  and  to  spread  its  benefits 
as  widely  as  possible.  But  the  recruiting  of  the 
Sunday  school  is  not  only  desirable,  but  necessary. 
It  is  found  that  in  every  school  there  exists  an 
outflow  as  well  as  an  inflow  of  members.  If  in 
certain  departments,  as  the  Primary,  new  scholars 
are  constantly  enrolled,  in  other  departments,  as 
the  older  grades  of  the  Intermediate  and  the 
Senior,  there  is  as  constant  a  dropping  out  of 
members  from  the  school.  It  has  been  estimated 
that  in  most  Sunday  schools  from  twenty  to 
twenty-five  per  cent  of  the  membership  changes 
annually,  so  that  the  average  period  of  a  teacher 
or  scholar  in  the  Sunday  school  is  less  than  five 
years.  There  are  some  who  remain  longer,  but 
others  who  are  members  for  even  a  shorter  time. 
Upon  the  average,  every  school  is  a  new  school 
once  in  four  or  five  years.  If  one  fifth  of  the 
school  leaves  every  year,  there  must  be  an  equal 
number  enter  it,  to  keep  the  school  at  its  normal 
size.  But  any  institution  dependent  upon  the 
maintenance  of  a  constituency,  whether  it  be  a 
periodical,  a  life-insurance  association,  or  a  Sunday 
school,  begins  to  decline  when  its  number  remains 

122 


Recruiting  the  School  1  23 

stationary.  The  health  and  Hfe  of  the  school, 
therefore,  require  a  constant  renewal  of  its  mem- 
bership. The  school  must  have  new  blood,  or  it 
will  soon  be  impoverished  and  in  time  die. 

2.  The  Losses  from  the  School.  Before  the 
presentation  of  plans  for  winning  new  scholars 
comes  the  vital  question  of  holding  the  scholars 
already  on  the  roll;  for  the  condition  of  leakage 
has  a  close  relation  to  growth  or  decline.  If  the 
causes  of  the  leakage  can  be  ascertained,  and  the 
drain  can  be  stopped,  we  shall  be  materially  aided 
in  our  effort  to  enlarge  the  school. 

(i)  The  Search  in  the  School.  Careful  notation 
should  be  kept  of  the  grades  from  which  scholars 
are  lost,  or  which  are  below  a  normal  membership; 
and  equally  careful  inquiry  should  be  made  as 
to  the  cause  of  the  decline,  and  methods  to  correct 
it  should  be  sought.  Is  it  in  the  Primary  Depart- 
ment, which  should  be  the  most  rapidly  growing 
department  in  the  school?  Is  it  in  the  Junior  or 
Intermediate  Department,  where  there  ought  to  be 
a  steady  increase,  even  if  it  be  slow?  Is  it  in  the 
Senior  Department?  Here  there  is  great  danger 
of  losses,  especially  among  young  men.  Is  it  not 
possible  to  find  why  they  leave  the  school,  and 
what  will  induce  them  to  remain?  Perhaps  the 
school  is  deficient  in  the  Adult  Department.  Must 
it  be  admitted  that  the  Sunday  school  is  for  chil- 
dren only,  and  that  as  soon  as  its  members  become 
men  and  women  their  departure  from  the  school 
is  to  be  expected?  The  investigation  should  be 
more  than  general,  ascertaining  what  departments 
are  suffering  loss;  it  should  be  personal,  including 
the  name   and  grade   of  every  scholar  who   has 


1  24  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

ceased  to  attend  for  a  definite  period;  and  as  far 
as  possible  the  reason  for  his  leaving  the  school. 

(2)  Following  up  Absentees.  A  systematic  plan 
for  watching  over  the  membership  of  the  school 
should  be  instituted  and  vigorously  maintained. 
For  example,  in  some  schools  a  report  of  every 
absentee  is  made  by  the  secretary  to  the  super- 
intendent. On  Monday  morning  each  teacher  re- 
ceives by  mail  the  list  of  his  absent  scholars,  with 
a  request  to  send  in  writing,  as  soon  as  practicable, 
the  cause  of  absence  for  each  one.  In  many  schools 
this  work  of  looking  after  the  absentees  is  per- 
formed by  paid  visitors — a  good  plan,  but  not  so 
good  as  for  the  teacher  to  come  into  personal 
touch  with  his  own  scholars.  A  business  firm 
watches  over  its  customers,  and  endeavors  in 
every  possible  way  to  hold  them.  The  Sunday 
school  which  can  maintain  its  grasp  upon  its 
members  has  the  problem  of  growth  already  half 
solved. 

3.  Characteristics  of  a  Growing  School.  The 
strongest  force  in  recruiting  the  Sunday  school  is 
to  be  found  in  the  character  of  the  school  itself. 
The  merchant  must  have  his  shelves  stocked  with 
attractive  goods  if  he  expects  customers.  In  order 
to  obtain  scholars  there  must  be  a  good  school. 

(i)  Efficient.  The  school  should  maintain  high 
educational  standards ;  should  be  thoroughly  graded 
in  all  its  departments,  with  suitable  lessons  for 
each  grade;  and  should  have  organized  classes  for 
young  people  and  adults.  The  thoroughly  good 
school  will  rarely  lack  for  scholars. 

(2)  Attractive.  The  school  should  be  attractive 
as  well  as  efficient.     Its  meeting  place  should  be 


Recruiting  the  School  I  25 

cheerful  and  airy,  with  suitable  furniture  and 
apparatus,  above  ground,  and  not  a  damp,  dingy- 
basement.  It  should  have  enjoyable  exercises,  like 
a  school,  yet  not  too  severely  like  a  public  school. 
It  should  greet  new  members  heartily,  make  them 
feel  at  home,  and  cultivate  acquaintance  with  them. 
There  should  be  an  animating  spirit  of  loyalty  and 
love  for  the  school;  a  devotion  which  will  inspire 
active  effort  in  its  behalf.  Around  the  school 
should  be  the  atmosphere  of  a  happy  home. 

(3)  Prominent.  Among  the  activities  of  the 
church  the  school  should  stand  forth  prominently. 
It  should  be  kept  in  mind  that,  as  the  neighbor- 
hood furnishes  the  constituency  of  the  school,  so 
the  school  furnishes  the  members  for  the  church. 
In  our  time  three  fourths  of  the  accessions  by 
profession  of  faith  come  from  the  Sunday  school. 
The  school  should  be  held  in  honor  as  the  principal 
source  of  supply  to  the  church  membership.  If  the 
audience  room  is  large  and  imposing,  and  the 
Sunday-school  room  is  inferior  and  unattractive ;  if 
the  pulpit  and  the  choir  are  amply  supported  while 
the  school  receives  a  narrow  sustenance,  however 
great  the  prosperity  of  the  church  its  duration  will 
be  brief.  The  Sunday  school  must  stand  in  the 
foreground,  and  not  in  the  background,  if  the 
church  is  to  grow;  and  the  growing  church  should 
have  a  growing  Sunday  school. 

(4)  Special  Occasions.  Throughout  the  Sunday- 
school  year  occur  days  which  should  be  recognized, 
as  breaking  the  monotony  of  the  regular  exercises, 
and  as  attractive  features  of  the  school.  Such  are 
Christmas,  Easter,  Children's  Day  in  June,  Rally 
Day  in  the  fall,  and  Decision  Day,  when  the  net 


126  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

is  drawn  for  discipleship  in  behalf  of  the  church. 
Some  superintendents  look  upon  these  occasions  as 
burdensome,  but  with  careful  preparation  and  an 
attractive  program  they  will  add  to  the  interest  of 
the  school,  while  in  no  wise  detracting  from  the 
efficiency  of  its  educational  work.  An  occasional 
social  entertainment  for  the  school,  or  for  each 
department  in  turn,  and  an  outing  day  in  the 
summer,  will  strengthen  that  esprit  de  corps  or 
animating  spirit  of  the  school  which  is  its  strongest 
drawing  power  in  attracting  new  members. 

(5)  Special  Helps.  There  are  communities  where 
certain  methods  may  avail  more  than  elsewhere. 
A  well-conducted  Sunday-school  library,  no  longer 
needed  in  many  places,  may  be  of  great  value  in 
villages  where  there  is  no  public  library.  A  reading 
room,  social  hall,  and  gymnasium  may  constitute 
the  church  a  home  for  young  men  whose  dwelling 
places  may  be  in  close  tenement  houses.  Young 
men  are  in  saloons,  and  young  women  are  in 
amusement  parks,  who  might  spend  their  evenings 
under  the  healthy  influence  of  the  church  if  places 
were  provided.  These  plans  and  other  features  of 
the  institutional  church  will  need  careful  and  wise 
administration  if  they  are  to  do  good  and  not 
harm;  but  in  many  places  they  will  minister  to 
the  success  of  the  school  and  the  church,  and  also 
to  the  uplifting  of  the  community. 

4.  Reaching  Beyond  the  School.  Thus  far  in  this 
chapter  we  have  considered  the  school  rather  than 
the  field.  One  of  the  chief  tasks  of  the  Sunday 
school,  however,  is  to  reach  out  and  lay  hold  of 
all  the  inhabitants,  both  young  and  old,  in  the 
area  of  its  influence.    The  following  active  measures 


Recruiting  the  School  I27 

have  proved  effective  in  reaching  the  people  and 
winning  them  to  the  school. 

(i)  Advertise.  The  school  should  be  kept  before 
the  community  in  every  legitimate  way.  Mer- 
chants tell  us  that  the  secret  of  success  is  first 
to  have  salable  goods,  and  then  to  advertise  them; 
and  the  same  principle  applies  to  the  Sunday 
school.  Printer's  ink  should  be  used  liberally,  but 
wisely.  Only  neatly  printed,  attractive  matter 
should  be  employed.  Invitation  cards,  leaflets, 
programs  of  special  services,  a  little  periodical 
devoted  to  the  school,  a  year  book  containing  the 
school  register,  and  many  other  forms  of  advertise- 
ment will  help  to  inform  the  neighborhood  that 
the  school  is  at  work  and  is  ready  to  welcome 
new  members. 

(2)  Invite.  Every  officer,  teacher,  scholar,  and 
parent  should  consider  himself  a  committee  to 
speak  to  others  about  the  school,  and  to  invite 
his  friends  and  acquaintances  to  attend  it.  The 
little  children  should  ask  their  playmates,  boys  and 
girls  in  school  their  classmates,  young  men  their 
shopmates,  young  women  their  associates.  No 
printed  paper  can  have  a  tenth  of  the  power 
possessed  by  the  living  voice  and  a  hearty  hand- 
shake. It  is  assumed  that  the  invitation  is  given 
only  to  those  who  are  not  already  attached  to  any 
church  or  school.  All  possible  care  should  be 
taken  to  maintain  a  fraternal  spirit,  and  not  to 
build  up  our  own  wall  by  pulling  down  another. 

(3)  Visit.  The  field  belonging  to  the  school 
should  be  bounded  definitely,  and  should  be  thor- 
oughly  and  systematically  canvassed.  It  should  be 
divided  into  districts,  and  each  district  assigned 


1  28  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

to  a  visitor  and  a  committee,  who  should  know 
who  may  be  included  in  the  proper  constituency  of 
the  school.  For  this  work  many  schools  and 
churches  employ  a  paid  visitor  or  a  deaconess;  and 
none  can  surpass  the  zeal  or  fidelity  of  many  who 
enter  upon  such  a  vocation.  But  the  schools 
which  cannot  afford  professional  workers  include 
some  teachers  and  some  adult  scholars  who  can 
give  a  portion  of  their  own  time  to  the  same 
task.  An  organized  class  of  men  might  be  named 
which  grew  into  over  a  hundred  members  through 
persistent  work  by  a  simple  plan.  A  lookout 
committee,  after  careful  inquiry,  would  report  the 
names  and  addresses  of  men  eligible  for  member- 
ship. Then  the  members  in  order  and  by  appoint- 
ment, in  groups  of  two,  called  upon  each  candidate, 
formed  his  acquaintance,  and  invited  him  to  the 
class.  Sometimes  thirty  or  forty  men  would  call, 
but  in  time  almost  every  man  visited  yielded  to 
the  friendly  social  influence,  became  a  member, 
and  soon  after  a  worker  for  the  class. 

5.  A  Danger.  A  caution  may  be  needed  with 
reference  to  all  these  plans  of  recruiting  the  school. 
Advertising  may  be  carried  to  the  excess  of  becom- 
ing sensational.  Invitations  may  be  pressed  upon 
scholars  in  other  schools.  The  effort  for  increase 
may  degenerate  into  unfriendly  rivalry.  A  good 
plan  may  work  evil  when  worked  in  a  selfish  spirit. 
And  a  too-rapid  growth  is  sure  to  be  unhealthy. 
The  late  B.  F.  Jacobs  said,  "God  pity  the  Sunday 
school  that  gets  a  hundred  scholars  at  one  time!" 
A  quiet,  steady,  diligent,  persistent  effort  for  the 
school  will  be  of  permanent  benefit,  rather  than  a 
spasm  of  enthusiasm. 


XVII 

THE  TESTS  OF  A  GOOD  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

In  the  United  States  more  than  a  hundred 
thousand  Sunday  schools  are  in  session  every  week. 
Some  of  them  are  very  good,  many  are  only 
moderately  efficient,  and  some  are  poor  in  every 
respect.  The  question  arises,  what  constitutes  a 
good  Sunday  school?  Is  it  possible  to  establish 
some  standard  of  measurement  by  which  the  rank 
of  any  Sunday  school  can  be  fixed?  In  such  a 
standard  there  must  be  several  factors,  for  the 
points  of  excellence  in  Sunday  school  are  not  one, 
but  many.  It  is  the  aim  in  this  closing  chapter 
to  ascertain  the  criteria  or  the  tests  of  a  good 
Sunday  school.  The  statement  of  these  tests  in- 
volves the  summing  up  and  in  some  measure  the 
repetition  of  much  already  given  throughout  these 
pages. 

I.  Representative  Character.  The  first  test  of  a 
Sunday  school  is  found  in  its  relation  to  the 
community  around  it.  The  Sunday  school  is  not  a 
bed  of  exotic  plants,  dug  up  from  their  native  soil, 
potted  and  protected  in  a  conservatory.  It  is  an 
outdoor  garden  wherein  are  cultivated  the  flowers 
and  fruits  that  are  indigenous  to  the  region.  A 
true  Sunday  school  is  a  group  of  people  drawn  out 
of  the  larger  world  around  it,  and  representing 
every  element  in  that  world,  both  as  regards  social 
life  and  age.  If  it  represents  the  rich  and  the 
prosperous  only,  it  is  not  a  good  school,  unless  the 

129 


130  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

neighborhood  is  unfortunate  in  containing  only 
such  people.  If  it  is  a  mission  school  for  poor 
people  in  the  midst  of  a  self-supporting  population, 
it  is  not  a  good  school.  If  it  includes  few  members 
above  sixteen,  and  none  above  twenty-five  years 
of  age,  it  is  not  a  good  school,  for  it  should  embrace 
all  ages  from  the  infant  to  the  grandfather.  The 
school  which  is  to  stand  on  the  roll  of  honor  is 
one  that  fairly  represents  its  constituency. 

2.  Organization.  Another  requirement  for  a  good 
school  is  that  it  be  well  organized  as  a  graded 
school.  There  may  be  Sunday  schools  which  make 
up  by  their  spirit  for  what  they  lack  in  system; 
yet  the  exceptions  are  few  to  the  rule  that  in 
Sunday-school  work  organization  is  essential  to 
success.  It  is  true  that  machinery  creates  no 
power;  there  is  nothing  in  a  constitution  and  by- 
laws to  make  an  institution  successful.  It  is  the 
efforts  of  living  men  and  women  that  bring  to 
pass  results.  But  organization  directs  and  econ- 
omizes power;  so  that,  other  elements  being  equal, 
the  graded  school  quickly  becomes  the  best  school. 
We  have  already  seen  that  a  graded  school  is  one 
with  departments  defined,  with  the  number  of 
classes  in  each  department  fixed  according  to  the 
needs  of  the  school,  with  promotions  at  regular 
periods,  based  either  on  age  or  examination  or 
merit,  or  on  all  three  factors  in  combination,  with 
lessons  graded  according  to  the  departments,  and, 
as  its  most  important  element,  with  a  change  of 
teachers  when  the  pupil  is  promoted  from  a  lower 
to  a  higher  grade  or  department.  The  graded 
system  is  not  easy  to  establish;  it  requires  firmness 
and   tact   in  the   authorities,   and   a   self-denying 


The  Tests  of  a  Good  School  I3I 

spirit  on  the  part  of  teachers ;  but  it  will  abundantly 
and  quickly  repay  all  it  costs  in  effort  and  sacrifice, 
and  it  is  an  essential  in  a  really  good  Sunday  school. 

3.  Order.  A  good  school  is  orderly,  yet  it  is 
not  too  orderly.  Everybody  is  in  place  at  the 
proper  time.  At  the  minute,  and  not  a  minute 
later,  the  superintendent  opens  the  school.  If  he 
rings  a  bell,  it  is  a  gentle,  musical  one,  held  up  by 
the  leader  as  a  signal  and  scarcely  sounded.  There 
is  not  more  confusion  than  at  the  opening  of  any 
other  religious  service.  Only  one  service  is  con- 
ducted at  a  time;  singing  is  worshipful,  just  as  well 
as  prayer,  and  the  Scriptures  are  read  thoughtfully 
and  reverently.  No  officers  are  rushing  up  and 
down  the  aisles  during  the  services;  no  loud  calls 
are  made  for  order;  yet  there  is  a  suitable  quietness 
when  quietness  is  desirable.  A  good  school  is 
never  disorderly,  yet  it  cannot  be  said  that  the 
best  school  is  always  the  most  orderly.  Occasion- 
ally one  sees  a  Sunday  school  where  order  has 
gone  to  the  extreme  of  repressing  all  enthusiasm, 
where  the  program  is  too  finely  cut  and  too  thor- 
oughly dried,  where  the  mechanism  moves  with  the 
precision  of  the  lockstep  in  a  state  prison.  The 
ideal  of  the  Sunday  school  is  not  that  of  the  French 
minister  of  education  who  is  reported  to  have 
stated  that  he  could  look  at  his  watch  and  tell  at 
that  minute  what  question  was  before  each  class 
in  every  school  in  France  1 

4.  Spirit.  For  lack  of  a  more  definite  term  we 
call  the  next  characteristic  of  a  good  Sunday 
school  its  spirit.  In  any  successful  school  one  feels 
rather  than  finds  a  peculiar  and  individual  atmos- 
phere.   Every  member,  from  the  superintendent  to 


132  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

the  Primary  scholar,  manifests  an  interest  in  the 
institution;  an  interest  of  blended  love,  loyalty, 
enjoyment  in  it  and  enthusiasm  for  it.  There  is 
a  social  spirit  in  each  class  and  in  the  school  as  a 
whole.  Its  members  do  not  meet  as  passengers  in 
a  railway  station,  each  one  wrapped  up  in  his  own 
business  and  watching  for  his  own  train.  They 
all  have  their  individual  friendships  and  social 
relations,  yet  a  bond  unites  them  all  as  members 
of  one  Sunday  school.  This  peculiar  esprit  de  corps, 
an  interest  in  the  institution,  is  a  strongly  marked 
feature  in  every  progressive  Sunday  school. 

5.  Educational  Efficiency.  The  Sunday  school  is 
in  the  world  with  a  definite  work — religious  educa- 
tion. Its  religion  will  be  based  on  the  Old  Testa- 
ment and  kindred  literature  in  a  Jewish  school; 
it  will  be  based  on  both  the  Old  and  New  Testament 
and  supplemental  literature  in  a  Christian  school; 
but  whether  Jewish  or  Christian,  its  work  is  the 
teaching  of  religion,  as  contained  in  the  living 
Word,  and  illustrated  by  the  lives  and  teachings 
of  the  heroes  of  the  faith.  The  true  test  of  a  Sunday 
school  is  the  answer  that  it  can  give  to  the  question, 
''Does  it  teach  the  vital  religious  truths  of  the 
race  so  as  to  develop  individual  character  and 
efficiency?"  That  is  its  task,  and  by  its  success 
in  accomplishing  it  each  school  is  to  be  judged; 
not  by  the  splendor  of  its  building,  or  the  exactness 
of  its  machinery,  or  the  enthusiasm  of  its  members. 
The  thirty  or  thirty-five  minutes  devoted  to  the 
lesson  is  the  supremely  important  period  in  every 
true  Sunday  school.  The  time  is  often  bound  to 
be  all  too  short  for  teaching  divine  truth,  and 
printing  it  upon  mind  and  memory  so  deeply  that 


The  Tests  of  a  Good    School  I33 

all  the  studies  and  pleasures  of  the  six  days  be- 
tween the  two  Sundays  will  not  cause  the  teaching 
to  fade.  Yet  the  time  is  as  long  as  the  ordinary 
teacher  (or  preacher)  can  hold  attention  to  one 
subject,  and  therefore  in  most  classes  it  is  suffi- 
cient. Toward  that  half  hour  of  teaching,  therefore, 
all  the  energies  of  the  school,  of  the  training  class, 
home  study,  teachers'  meeting,  gradation,  govern- 
ment, should  be  turned.  For  the  vital  aim  of  the 
Sunday  school  is  the  eternal  message  of  God  to 
men  through  men,  so  that  men  and  women  of  the 
Christ  spirit  and  character  may  be  developed. 

6.  Character-Building.  The  first  task,  therefore, 
of  the  Sunday  school  is  to  teach  the  Word,  but  that 
teaching  is  only  a  means  to  an  end,  and  that  end 
is  greater  than  mere  intellectual  knowledge — it  is 
the  building  up  of  a  complete  character.  This  is 
more  than  "bringing  souls  to  Christ,"  or  leading 
them  into  church  membership.  If  the  sole  aim 
of  the  Sunday  school  was  to  compass  the  salvation 
of  the  scholar  and  to  surround  him  with  the  walls 
of  a  church,  then  we  might  safely  dismiss  our 
scholars  when  they  have  passed  through  a  crisis 
of  conversion  and  entered  the  church  door.  But 
the  Sunday  school  is  to  do  more  than  save  its 
scholars  from  sin.  It  is  to  train  them  in  the 
completeness  of  a  Christian  character;  and  such  a 
character  involves  not  only  personal  righteousness 
but  also  service  for  God  and  humanity.  Its  aim 
is  not  to  take  people  apart  out  of  the  world,  but 
to  set  them  in  the  world,  equipped  for  work  in 
making  the  world  a  Christian  world,  and  thereby 
establishing  on  earth  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  The 
measure  by  which  the  Sunday  school  accomplishes 


134  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

such  a  work  as  this,  constitutes  the  final,  crucial 
test  of  its  success. 

It  cannot  be  said  that  any  one  of  these  six 
essentials  of  a  good  Sunday  school  stands  supreme. 
They  do  not  march  in  Indian  file;  nor  are  they 
to  be  set  one  against  another  in  a  comparison  of 
values.  These  traits  of  a  complete  Sunday  school 
should  rather  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  New 
Testament  writers  describes  the  traits  of  a  complete 
character,  in  that  familiar  yet  only  half-understood 
passage,  "As  in  the  harmony  of  a  choral  song, 
blend  with  your  faith  the  note  of  energy,  and  with 
your  energy  the  note  of  knowledge,  and  with  your 
knowledge  the  note  of  self-mastery,"^  through  all 
the  eight  aspects  of  the  Christian;  so  let  these  six 
essential  elements  be  combined  to  form  that  noble 
institution,  the  ideal  Sunday  school. 

1  2  Pet.  1.  s-7. 


APPENDIX 


BLACKBOARD  OUTLINE  AND  REVIEW 
QUESTIONS 


I3S 


I.  THE  HISTORIC  PRINCIPLES  UNDERLYING 
THE  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MOVEMENT 

BLACKBOARD  OUTLINE 


1.  Mag.  5-  SeL-sup. 

2.  Mod.  6.  Sel.-gov. 

3.  Lay.  7.  Sel.-dev. 

4.  Unp.  Won  8.  Bib.  stu. 


4- 


REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

To  what  race  in   the  world  does  the  Sunday  school 
mainly  belong? 

What  are  some  of  the  lands  in  which  it  is  found? 

What  does  the  circulation  of  its  literature  show? 

What  influence  is  the  Sunday-school  movement  exer- 
cising upon  the  world  ? 

How   many   salient   traits   of   the   Sunday   school   are 
named  in  this  chapter? 

What  are  those  traits  in  the  order  named? 

To  what  race   can   the  ancient  germ   of   the  Sunday 
school  be  traced? 

What   institutions   among   that   people   contained   the 
elemental  principle  of  the  Sunday  school? 

What  gathering  similar  to  a  Sunday  school  is  described 
in  the  Bible? 

Who  was  the  founder  of  the  modem  Sunday  school? 

In  what  place,  and  what  year,  was  the  first  Sunday 
school  held  ? 

What  aided  to  make  this  institution  known? 
^  Was  the  first  Sunday  school  established  under  direc- 
tion of  the  clergy  or  the  laity? 

Has  the  clergy,  or  the  laity,  been  the  more  prominent 
in  the  work  of  the  Sunday  school  throughout  its  history? 

What  has  been  the  attitude  of  the  church  toward  this 
institution  ? 

What  has  been  stated  concerning  the  compensation  of 
the  teachers  in  the  earliest  Sunday  school? 

Was  the  plan  of  paying  teachers  for  their  services  con- 
tinued ? 

Are  the  majority  of  Sunday-school  officers  and  teachers 
now  paid  for  their  services? 

137 


138  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

What  has  been  the  effect  of  this  condition,  of  unpaid 
service,  upon  the  growth  of  the  Sunday-school  move- 
ment ? 

How  has  this  condition  of  voluntary,  unpaid  work 
affected  the  moral  influence  of  the  Sunday  school? 

How  have  the  expenses  of  the  Sunday  school  in  most 
places  been  met  in  the  past? 

How  are  such  expenses  met  in  the  best  schools  at  the 
present  time? 

How  has  the  self-support  of  the  Sunday  school  in  the 
past  affected  its  government? 

What  is  the  present  share  of  the  church  in  the  govern- 
ment of  the  school? 

What  forces  have  directed  the  development  of  the 
Sunday  school  as  a  movement? 

What  fact  in  its  origin  largely  accounts  for  the  unity  of 
method  in  the  Sunday  school? 

What  is  the  text-book  studied  in  the  Sunday  school  ? 

What  has  been  the  influence  of  the  Simday  school  in 
behalf  of  the  Bible? 

II.  THE  CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  SUNDAY 
SCHOOL 

BLACKBOARD  OUTLINE 


1.  Aim.    Rel.  ins.     (i)  Kn.     (2)  Ch.    (3)  Ser. 

2.  Meth.  Tea.    (i)  Teach.     (2)  Sch.    (3)  Text-b. 

3.  ReL  Ch.    Bel.  ch.    Ca.  ch.    Sup.  ch.    Feed.  ch.    Sup.  ch. 

4.  Gov.     (i)  Rights  of  teach.     (2)  Auth.  of  ch. 

5.  Off.    (i)  Sup.    (2)  Assoc,  sup.    (3)  Sec.    (4)  Treas.  (s)  Fac. 

6.  Mem.    All  ag.  all  clas. 


•J- -+ 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

What  is  a  Sunday-school  constitution? 

What  is  the  difference  between  an  ideal  and  a  practical 
plan? 

Are  all  constitutions  written? 

What  six  points  should  be  provided  for  in  the  consti- 
tution of  the  Sunday  school? 

What  should  be  the  aim  of  the  Sunday  school  ? 

State  the  definition  of  the  Sunday  school  as  given  by 
Dr.  Vincent. 

What  three  elements  are  involved  in  a  true  religious 
education  ? 


Appendix  1 39 

What  difference  may  be  noted  between  the  Christian 
ideals  of  the  past  and  of  the  present? 

What  method  does  the  Sunday  school  employ  in  its 
work  ? 

What  are  the  three  essentials  in  the  working  of  a  school  ? 

What  does  the  Sunday  school  seek  to  accomplish  in  its 
pupils  ? 

What  text-book  is  generally  used  in  the  Sunday  school  ? 

Why  is  this  book  taught  so  widely? 

May  material  outside  of  this  book  be  employed  in 
teaching  ? 

What  is  the  relation  between  the  Sunday  school  and 
the  church? 

Why  is  some  government  needed  in  the  Sunday  school  ? 

What  two  elements  should  be  recognized  in  the  man- 
agement of  the  school  ? 

Name  the  officers  of  the  Sunday  school. 

Who  should  constitute  the  members  of  the  school? 


III.  THE  NECESSITY  AND  ESSENTIALS  OF  A 
GRADED  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

BLACKBOARD  OUTLINE 


1 

1.  Nee. 

(b)   Ineq. 
(b)  Trans 

2.  Ess. 
sim.  pro. 

Gra.     (i)  Sch.  as  wh. 
ag.     (c)  Lac.  cl.  sp. 
.  sch. 

Gra.  Sch.     (i)  Dep. 
(4)  Ch.  tea.     (5)  Gra. 

(2)  Cond.  cla. 

(3)  Dif.  adm. 

(2)  Fix.  num. 
Less.     (6)  Bas 

(a)  Ineq.  siz. 
(a)  Obt.  tea. 

cla.     (3)  Ann. 
pro. 

4- 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

Into  what  departments  are  most  Sunday  schools 
divided  ? 

Why  does  not  the  mere  division  into  departments  con- 
stitute a  graded  Sunday  school? 

In  what  department  is  the  school  growing  most  rapidly  ? 

From  what  departments  does  the  school  lose  its  pupils  ? 

What  is  often  the  condition  of  classes  for  young  people 
of  fifteen  years  and  older? 

What  inequalities  may  be  noted  in  the  classes  of  an 
average  Sunday  school? 

What  spirit  is  apt  to  be  lacking  in  the  school  ? 

What  two  great  difficulties  are  met  by  the  superinten- 
dent of  an  ungraded  school? 


140  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

Sum  up  the  six  difficulties  or  defects  which  will  be  re- 
moved in  a  measure  by  grading  the  school. 

Name  the  six  essentials  of  a  thoroughly  graded  Sunday 
school. 

Draw  a  diagram  representing  the  manner  of  seating 
the  departments  of  a  Sunday  school. 

What  is  meant  by  a  fixed  number  of  classes  in  each 
department  of  a  graded  school? 

How  should  promotions  be  made  from  one  department 
to  another? 

Why  should  not  teachers  accompany  their  classes  when 
the  pupils  are  promoted  from  one  department  to  another? 

What  kind  of  lessons  should  be  taught  in  the  different 
departments  of  the  school? 

Should  promotions  be  made  on  the  basis  of  age,  of 
merit,  or  as  the  result  of  examination? 

Why  cannot  examinations  in  the  Sunday  school  main- 
tain the  same  standards  as  those  of  the  public  school  ? 

IV.  THE  GRADING  OF  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 
BLACKBOARD  OUTLINE 


•■• 

- 

1 

I. 

2. 

(of. 

4- 

wk. 

Diff. 
Rem. 

Meth.     (i)  Grad.     (2)  Simul.     (a)  Com. 
A.SS.  sch.     (d)  Ro-ca. 
Adv.  Thor.  Gra.    (i)  App.   (2)  Ord.    (3)  Soc 
(5)  Inc.  int.     (6)  Obt.  tea.     (7)  Leak. -per. 

(b)  Ag.  sch. 
rel.    (4)  Tea. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

What  is  the  greatest  difficulty  to  be  met  in  grading  a 
Sunday  school? 

What  is  the  remedy  for  this  difficulty? 

What  are  the  two  methods  of  grading  an  ungraded 
school  ? 

How  may  a  school  be  graded  by  the  gradual  method  ? 

What  are  the  four  steps  to  be  taken  if  a  school  is  to  be 
graded  by  the  simultaneous  method? 

What  is  to  be  done  when  scholars  are  unwilling  to  re- 
ceive promotion  ? 

Name  seven  advantages  of  the  graded  school. 

Wherein  does  the  graded  school  differ  in  appearance 
from  one  ungraded? 

How  is  order  maintained  more  easily  in  the  graded  school  ? 


Appendix  1 4  ^ 

How  does  grading  influence  the  social  relations  of  the 
scholars  ? 

Why  is  teaching  easier  in  the  graded  school  ? 

How  does  the  graded  Sunday  school  increase  the 
interest  of  the  pupils? 

Why  is  it  easier  to  supply  teachers  in  the  school  after 
it  has  been  graded? 

What  is  meant  by  "the  leakage  period"  in  the  scholars 
of  the  Sunday  school? 

How  does  the  graded  school  hold  the  scholar  in  the 
school  ? 

V.  THE  DEPARTMENTS  OP  THE  GRADED 
SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

BLACKBOARD  OUTLINE 


1.  Cradle  Roll,    (i)  Members.     (2)  Catalogue.    (3)  How  ob- 
tained.    (4)  Gifts.     (5)  Management.     (6)  Value. 

2.  Beginners  Dep.     (i)  Ages.     (2)  Teaching.     (3)  Meeting 
place. 

3.  Primary  Dep.     (i)  Ages.     (2)  Classes.     (3)  Lessons. 

4.  Junior  Dep.     (i)  Ages.     (2)  Classes.     (3)  Lessons. 

5.  Intermediate  Dep.     (i)  Ages.     (2)  Classes.     (3)  Lessons. 
(4)  Special  aim.     (5)  Christian  character. 

6.  Senior   Dep.      (i)    Name.      (2)    Ages.      (3)    Classes 
(4)  Teachers.     (5)  Organization.     (6)  Social  life. 

7.  Teacher-Training    Dep.      (i)    Members.       (2)    Teacher. 

(3)  Studies.     (4)  Requirements.     (5)  Aims.     (6)  Reserve  class. 

8.  Adult  Dep.     (i)   Members.      (2)   Classes.     (3)   Methods. 

(4)  Courses  of  study. 

9.  Home  Dep.    (i)  Need.     (2)  Plan. 


REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

What  are  the  four  principal  departments  of  an  ordinary 
Sunday  school? 

In  this  chapter  how  many  departments  are  described? 

What  are  the  names  of  these  departments? 

What  department  includes  the  names  of  the  youngest 
children?  Wherein*'  does  this  department  differ  from 
most  of  the  other  departments?  How  should  the  list  of 
its  members  be  kept  ?  How  may  names  be  obtained  for 
it?  What  privileges  should  be  given  to  the  members  of 
this  department?  What  are  the  benefits  of  this  depart- 
ment to  the  school? 

What  is  the  name  of  the  second  department?  What 
ages  should  it  embrace?    What  should  be  the  exercises  in 


14^  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

this  department?  How  should  these  pupils  be  seated  in 
the  school? 

What  is  the  third  department  named?  What  ages 
should  it  include?  How  should  it  be  organized?  What 
lessons  should  be  taught  in  it? 

What  is  the  fourth  department?  What  are  the  ages  of 
its  pupils?  How  may  they  be  classified?  What  lessons 
should  be  taught  to  them? 

What  is  the  fifth  department?  What  ages  does  it  in- 
clude? How  should  the  classes  be  formed?  Why  should 
small  classes  be  the  rule  in  this  department?  What  les- 
sons should  be  taught?  What  should  be  a  special  aim  of 
teachers  in  this  department?  What  type  of  Christian 
character  should  be  sought? 

What  is  the  sixth  department?  What  other  names  are 
applied  to  it?  What  ages  should  it  include?  What  re- 
quirement should  be  made  of  those  entering  this  depart- 
ment by  promotion?  How  should  the  classes  be  organized? 
Who  should  teach  in  this  department?  Plow  may  the 
social  spirit  be  cultivated? 

What  is  the  seventh  department?  Who  should  be 
included  in  its  membership?  Who  should  be  sought  as 
the  teacher?  What  condition  should  be  required  of  its 
members  ?  What  studies  should  be  followed  ?  How  should 
the  course  be  conducted?  What  other  class  should  also 
be  connected  with  the  Teacher- training  Department? 
How  shall  this  class  be  conducted? 

What  is  the  eighth  department?  Who  should  be  in- 
cluded in  it?  What  are  the  two  methods  of  instruction 
in  this  department?  What  courses  of  study  should  be 
taken  ? 

What  is  the  ninth  department?  Who  constitute  its 
members?  What  care  and  help  should  be  given  to  these 
people?  What  should  be  expected  of  them  as  members 
of  the  school? 

VI.  THE  SUPERINTENDENT 
BLACKBOARD  OUTLINE 


1.  Imp.  (N.  Y.  C.  R.  R.). 

2.  Appt.    Tea.  ch.  past. 

3.  Ter.  Off.     One  ye. 

4.  QuaL     (i)  Mor.  char.     (2)  Dev.  bel,     (3)  Wor.  ch.  mem. 
(4)  Bib.  stu.     (5)  Ab.  exec.     (6)  Sym.  you.     (7)  Tea.  spi. 


Appendix  1 43 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

What  illustration  from  a  railroad  will  show  the  im- 
portance of  the  superintendent? 

How  should  the  appointment  of  the  superintendent  be 
made?  Who  should  unite  in  the  selection?  How  long 
should  be  his  term  of  office? 

What  are  the  traits  named  for  an  ideal  superintendent? 

What  should  be  his  moral  character?  Why  is  such  a 
character  necessary  in  his  office?  What  story  of  a  states- 
man illustrates  this? 

In  what  respects  should  the  superintendent  be  a  be- 
liever in  the  gospel  ? 

Why  should  he  be  a  member  of  the  church?  What  is 
his  duty  to  the  Bible?  How  may  the  superintendent 
influence  his  school  to  follow  his  requests? 

What  should  be  his  qualifications  as  an  administrator 
or  executive? 

What  trait  in  relation  to  the  young  should  he  possess  ? 

What  should  be  his  mental  attitude  toward  knowledge, 
especially  knowledge  of  methods? 

What  story  is  told  of  a  great  sculptor? 


VII.  THE  SUPERINTENDENT'S  DUTIES  AND 
RESPONSIBILITIES 

BLACKBOARD  OUTLINE 


1.  Gen.    (i)  Sup.    (2)  Sel.  tea.    (3)  Ass.  sch.    (4)  Prog.  ser. 
(5)  Sup. 

2.  We.-d.  Wor.     (i)   Prog.      (2)   Les.  stu.      (3)   Soc.   dut. 
(4)  Seek.  work.    (5)  Cab.  meet.    (6)  Sp.  d.     (7)  Conv. 

3.  Dut.  Sch.  Sess.     (i)  Pre.  ear.     (2)  Op.  pr.     (3)  Con.  pro. 

(4)  Dut.  less.     (5)  Les.  rev.     (6)  Clos. 

4.  Misc.  Dut.     (i)  N.  B.     (2)  Q.     (3)  E.  L.     (4)  Us.  B. 

(5)  Les.  per.     (6)  Sp.     (7)  Sel.-con.    (8)  Aim. 


REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

Into  what  three  classes  may  the  duties  of  the  superin- 
tendent be  divided  ? 

What  are  his  general  duties  and  prerogatives  in  rela- 
tion to  the  school? 

What  are  his  duties  through  the  week? 

What  social  duties  should  he  endeavor  to  fulfill? 

How  may  he  obtain  teachers  and  workers  ? 

What  is  the  purpose  of  cabinet  meetings? 


144  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

How  may  the  superintendent  be  ready  for  special 
occasions  in  the  Sunday-school  year? 

What  is  his  duty  toward  conventions  and  associations 
of  workers  ? 

What  are  the  duties  of  the  superintendent  during  the 
session  of  the  school? 

What  suggestions  are  given  concerning  the  conducting 
of  the  program  of  the  school  ? 

Who  should  review  the  lesson? 

Name  some  miscellaneous  hints  concerning  his  work. 

How  may  he  have  a  quiet,  orderly  school? 

How  may  he  promote  the  use  of  the  Bible  as  a  text- 
book by  teachers  and  scholars? 

What  rule  should  be  kept  with  reference  to  the  lesson 
period  ? 

Under  what  conditions  should  visitors  be  allowed  to 
address  the  school  during  the  regular  session? 

What  suggestion  is  made  concerning  self-control? 

What  aim  should  be  kept  before  the  superintendent 
and  the  school  ? 

VIII.  THE  ASSOCIATE  AND  DEPARTMENT 
SUPERINTENDENTS 

BLACKBOARD  OUTLINE 


1.  Nee.    Gen.  asst.    Dept.  asst. 

2.  Titles.    Asso.  sup.    Dep.  supt. 

3.  App.    Nom.  sup.    Conf.  tea.    "Minor,  cand." 

4.  Duties,     (i)   Not  tea.      (2)   Dep.   sup.      (3)   Prov.  sub. 
(4)  Assig.  new  sch.     (5)  Detail,  sup.     (6)  Ch.  st. 


REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

What  is  the  need  of  an  assistant  to  the  superintendent 
in  the  Sunday  school? 

What  two  classes  of  assistants  are  required  in  an  or- 
ganized school? 

What  titles  should  be  given  to  these  officers? 

How  should  the  associate  superintendent  be  chosen  ? 

Why  should  the  superintendent  possess  the  right  to 
nominate  the  associate  superintendent? 

Should  the  associate  superintendent  be  at  the  same 
time  a  teacher  in  the  school? 

When  should  the  associate  take  charge  of  the  school  ? 

How  should  substitutes  be  obtained  for  teachers  who 
are  absent? 


Appendix  1 45 


What  class  should  not  be  called  upon  to  furnish  sub- 
stitute teachers,  and  why? 

What  class  will  supply  teachers  in  a  properly  graded 
school  ? 

How,  when,  and  where  should  the  teachers  be  obtained? 

When  should  supply  teachers  be  ready  and  in  their 
places  ? 

What  is  the  work  of  the  associate  superintendent  with 
reference  to  new  scholars? 

Should  new  scholars  select  their  own  classes? 

What  part  may  the  associate  take  during  the  general 
exercises  of  the  school? 

What  military  title  might  properly  be  given  to  the 
associate  superintendent?  Wherein  does  this  title  apply 
to  him? 

Give  a  summary  of  the  six  duties  performed  by  the 
associate  superintendent. 

IX.  THE  SECRETARY  OF  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 
BLACKBOARD  OUTLINE 


1.  Imp. 

2.  Qual.     (i)  B.  M.     (2)  R.  A.     (3)  G.  W.     (4)  Q.  M.  A. 
(5)Q.  M.    (6)C.  C. 

3.  App. 

4.  Assts. 

5.  Dep.  Sees. 

6.  Dut.    (i)  R.  M.    (2)  R.  S.    (3)  R.  C.    (4)  R.  S.    (5)  L.  S. 
(6)  C. 


REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

Who  is  frequently  and  unwisely  chosen  as  secretary  of 
the  Sunday  school?  What  are  the  results  of  such  a 
choice  ? 

What  results  follow  from  an  efficient  secretary? 

What  six  qualifications  are  named  for  the  ideal  secre- 
tary? 

What  traits  of  a  business  man  should  he  possess? 

What  should  be  his  principle  with  regard  to  regular 
attendance?  What  also  should  be  included  in  his 
attendance? 

Wherein  should  the  secretary  be  a  good  writer? 

What  should  be  the  traits  of  his  mental  action  ? 

What  exercises  in  the  school  should  never  be  interrupted 
by  the  work  of  the  secretary?  Should  he  ever  come  to  a 
class  while  the  lesson  is  being  taught? 


146  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

What  should  be  the  behavior  of  the  secretary? 

How  should  the  secretary  be  chosen? 

How  long  should  be  his  term  of  office  ? 

How  should  the  assistant  secretary  be  appointed? 

What  are  department  secretaries,  and  who  should  be 
appointed  to  this  position? 

What  seven  duties  are  named  for  the  secretary  and  his 
assistants  ? 

What  record  should  be  kept  of  business  meetings  ? 

What  are  his  duties  with  reference  to  reports  from 
committees  ? 

What  weekly  record  should  be  kept  of  the  attendance 
in  the  school  ? 

What  are  the  duties  of  the  secretary  with  regard  to  the 
records  of  class  attendance? 

What  general  catalogue  of  the  members  of  the  school 
should, be  kept?    How  should  this  record  be  arranged? 

What  is  the  duty  of  the  secretary  with  regard  to  the 
literature  used  in  the  school? 

How  should  the  official  correspondence  of  the  school  be 
conducted  ? 

X.  THE  TREASURY  AND  THE  TREASURER 
BLACKBOARD  OUTLINE 


1.  Early  S.  S.    Light  expenses. 

2.  Modern  S.  S.    Large  expenses.     Objects. 

3.  Practical  Ways  and  Means.    Methods.    Objections. 

4.  Ideal  Way.    Allowance.     Subscriptions.     Benefits. 

5.  S.  S.  Treasurer.     Relation  to  secretary. 

6.  Treasurer's  Work.  (i)  Charge.  (2)  Bank  account. 
(3)  Reports  and  vouchers.  (4)  Bills.  (5)  Checks.  (6)  Audits. 
(7)  Study  of  benevolent  interests. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

Why  was  little  money  required  by  the  early  Sunday 
schools?    Wherein  was  this  fact  fortunate  for  the  schools? 

Why  are  the  expenses  of  the  Sunday  school  greater 
than  they  were  in  the  early  years? 

What  are  the  principal  expenses  of  a  modem  Sunday 
school  ? 

What  are  the  methods  of  supplying  funds  for  the 
Sunday  school  in  most  places? 

What  is  the  objection  to  these  methods? 

What  is  the  ideal  method  of  supporting  the  Sunday 
school?    Under  this  plan  what  should  be  expected  of  the 


Appendix  \  47 


members  of  the  school?  What  are  the  advantages  of  this 
plan? 

Should  the  same  person  act  as  secretary  and  as  treas- 
urer?   In  that  case  what  principles  should  be  observed? 

What  kind  of  a  person  should  be  chosen  as  treasurer? 

What  funds  should  be  placed  under  his  charge  ? 

Where  should  he  keep  the  money  of  the  school?  How 
should  this  bank  account  be  conducted? 

What  reports  should  the  treasurer  present,  and  where 
should  be  present  them? 

How  should  all  payments  of  the  treasurer  be  au- 
thorized ? 

What  should  be  done  with  bills  against  the  school? 

In  what  form  is  it  desirable  to  make  payments  for 
bills? 

How  and  when  should  the  accounts  of  the  treasurer 
be  audited? 

What  service  can  the  treasurer  render  to  the  school 
in  relation  to  benevolent  interests? 

XI.  VALUE  OF  THE  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  LIBRARY 
BLACKBOARD  OUTLINE 


^ — 

» « 

I. 

Lib. 

Pas. 

2. 

Dec. 

Pres. 

3- 

Cau. 

Dec. 

4. 

Uses 

.  G.  Lib.    (i)  Fam.  ne. 

(2)  Mor. 

inf 

.     (3) 

Aid  ach.     | 

5- 

Prin 

Sel.     (i)  Var. 

(2)  Pop.     (3)  Lit. 

qual. 

(4) 

Mor. 

tea. 

(5)< 

3h.  sp. 

6. 

Com 

.  S.  S.  Lib. 

7. 

Pub. 

Lib.  &  S.  S. 

H- 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

Why  was  the  library  important  to  the  school  in  the 
earlier  times? 

What  are  the  facts  regarding  the  decline  of  the  Sunday- 
school  library  in  recent  times? 

What  causes  are  assigned  for  the  decline  of  the  Sunday- 
school  library? 

How  are  books  more  accessible  now  than  in  former 
times  ? 

Why  is  the  library  no  longer  needed  to  draw  pupils  to 
the  school? 

How  does  the  present  educational  aim  of  the  Sunday 
school  affect  the  interest  in  the  library? 


I4B  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

What  criticism  is  made  upon  the  books  in  most  Sunday- 
school  Hbraries? 

How  does  the  management  of  the  library  often  inter- 
fere with  the  order  of  the  school? 

What  three  benefits  are  named  from  a  well-conducted 
Sunday-school  library? 

How  does  the  library  in  many  places  aid  the  school? 

What  four  principles  should  guide  in  the  selection  of 
books  ? 

What  classes  of  books  should  be  in  the  library? 

Why  must  the  books  be  popular  and  interesting? 

What  should  be  the  literary  standard  for  books  in  the 
Sunday-school  library? 

Should  love  stories  be  admitted? 

What  moral  standards  should  be  maintained? 

What  is  meant  by  the  Christian  spirit  in  the  Sunday- 
school  library. 

What  kind  of  a  library  should  be  sought  for  in  the  edu- 
cational work  of  the  Sunday  school? 

How  may  the  use  of  such  a  library  be  promoted  in  the 
school  ? 

How  may  the  public  library  be  made  useful  to  the 
Sunday  schools  in  a  city  or  town? 

XII.  THE  MANAGEMENT  OF  THE  LIBRARY 
BLACKBOARD  OUTLINE 


1.  Lib.  Com.     (i)  Pur.  bks.     (2)  Freq.  add. 

2.  Libr.    (i)  Bkm.     (2)  Bus.  m.     (3)  Gen.  man. 

3.  Asst.  Lib. 

4.  Man.  Lib.    (i)  Coll.    (2)  Ass.    (3)  Dist.    (4)  Ret.   (a)  Rec. 
sch.    (b)  Rec.  she.     (c)  Fin.     (d)  Rew. 


REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

Who  should  choose  the  books  for  the  Sunday-school 
library  ? 

What  should  be  expected  of  the  library  committee  ? 

Why  should  a  large  purchase  of  books  at  one  time  be 
avoided  ? 

How  may  the  committee  learn  of  new  books? 

How  should  donations  of  books  be  regarded? 

What  are  the  advantages  of  small  additions  at  frequent 
times  ? 

Who  should  be  sought  for  the  Sunday-school  librarian? 

How  should  the  assistant  librarians  be  chosen? 


Appendix  1 49 

What  plan  should  be  followed  in  collecting  the  books 
returned  to  the  library  by  the  scholars  ? 

What  are  some  plans  for  choosing  books? 

What  difficulties  are  met  in  the  choice  of  books  by 
scholars  ? 

How  should  the  books  be  distributed? 

What  are  the  difficulties  met  in  the  return  of  books  by 
scholars  ? 

How  may  the  loss  of  books  be  avoided  ? 

How  may  lost  books  be  traced  and  brought  back? 

XIII.  THE  TEACHER'S  QUALIFICATIONS  AND 
NEED  OF  TRAINING 

BLACKBOARD  OUTLINE 


1.  Qual.    (i)  Sin.  dis.    (2)  Lov.  you.    (3)  Lov.  ser.    (4)  Wil. 
work. 

2.  Nee.  Train,    (i)  Gen.  prin.     (2)  Tea.  resp.     (3)  Detn.  ag. 
(4)  Tea.  cla. 


REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

Why  does  the  work  of  the  Sunday-school  teacher  re- 
quire special  qualifications? 

What  four  qualifications  are  named  as  requisite? 

What  should  be  the  relation  of  the  teacher  toward 
Christ? 

What  should  be  his  attitude  of  mind  and  heart  toward 
young  people?    Why  is  this  attitude  necessary? 

What  should  be  his  relation  to  the  Bible? 

What  is  required  of  him  as  a  worker? 

When  did  training  for  Sunday-school  teachers  begin  in 
America  ? 

What  have  been  various  stages  and  periods  in  the 
movement  for  teacher- training  ? 

What  four  reasons  are  named  why  the  Sunday-school 
teacher  should  receive  training? 

How  does  the  shortness  of  the  time  and  its  weekly 
meeting  of  the  Sunday  school  relate  to  the  training  of 
the  teacher? 

How  does  the  teacher's  responsibility  make  his  training 
necessary  ? 

What  does  this  age  demand  of  teachers? 

Why  does  this  age  make  special  demands  upon  Bible 
teachers  ? 


150  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

In  what  condition  of  mind  with  regard  to  the  lesson 
do  most  of  our  scholars  come  to  the  Sunday  school  ? 

Why  does  the  condition  of  the  scholar  require  prepara- 
tion on  the  part  of  the  teacher? 


XIV.  THE  TRAINING  AND  TASK  OF  THE 
TEACHER 

BLACKBOARD  OUTLINE 


1.  Train.  Nee.  (i)  Book,  (a)  Or.  nat.  (b)  Hist,  (c)  Geog. 
back,  (d)  Inst,  (e)  Eth.  rel.  tea.  (2)  Schol.  (3)  Schoo. 
(4)  Work. 

2.  Tea.  Tas.    (i)  Stu.    (2)  Fri.    (3)  Tea.    (4)  Dis. 


REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

What  are  the  four  departments  of  teacher- training  ? 

What  in  the  Bible  does  the  teacher  need  to  know? 

What  does  he  need  to  know  about  his  scholars? 

What  does  he  need  to  know  about  the  school? 

What  does  he  need  to  know  about  teaching? 

What  are  the  four  departments  of  the  teacher's  task? 

What  has  he  to  do  as  a  student? 

What  may  he  do  as  a  friend? 

What  is  required  of  him  as  a  teacher? 

What  is  his  work  for  his  class,  as  a  disciple  of  Christ  ? 


XV.  THE  CONSTITUENCY  OF  THE  SUNDAY 
SCHOOL 

BLACKBOARD  OUTLINE 


►- 

»4 

I.  Rel.  to  Com. 

(i)  Const,  adj.     (2)  Mem   rep.     (3)  Math. 

adap. 

2.  Chang.  Pop. 

(i)  Gro.     (2)  Dec.     (3)  Ch.  soc.     (4)  AH. 
(i)  St.  fi.     (2)  Cul.  fi.     (3)  Pro.  f.  all  ele. 

3.  Prac.  Sugg. 

(4)  Ad.  math. 

..».. 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

What  kind  of  a  temple  is  the  Sunday  school? 
Whence  must  come  the  members  of  the  school? 
What   duty   does   the   school   owe   to    the   population 
around  it? 

Of  what  should  a  Sunday  school  be  representative? 


Appendix  1 5  J 

What  elements  in  a  mixed  community  should  enter 
into  the  Sunday  school? 

What  methods  should  be  sought  in  localities  where  the 
traits  and  needs  of  the  people  differ? 

What  fact  regarding  the  population  of  our  country 
brings  great  problems  to  the  church  and  Sunday  school? 

Give  some  instances  of  the  effect  of  changing  popula- 
tion upon  churches. 

How  often  are  churches  generally  compelled  to  change 
their  constituency? 

What  are  some  causes  of  the  changed  conditions  in 
cities  and  country  places? 

What  should  be  done  in  growing  communities? 

What  are  the  conditions,  and  the  remedy  for  them,  in 
a  declining  population? 

How  may  a  population  change  socially  while  increasing 
numerically  ? 

What  is  the  duty  of  a  Sunday  school  in  changing  com- 
munities ? 

When  may  a  church  or  a  Sunday  school  rightly  abandon 
its  field? 

What  is  the  first  duty  of  the  Sunday  school  in  relation 
to  its  field? 

What  is  its  duty  to  the  population  in  its  field,  wherever 
the  population  can  be  reached  ? 

What  elements  in  the  population  should  be  provided 
for  in  the  plans  and  efforts  of  the  school? 

XVI.  RECRUITING  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 
BLACKBOARD  OUTLINE 


1.  Nee. 

2.  Los.  ft.  Sch.     (i)  Sear,  in  sch.     (2)  Foil.  abs. 

3.  Char.  Gro.  Sch.     (i)  Eff.     (2)  Attr.     (3)  Prom.     (4)  Sp 
occ.  (5)  Sp.  hel. 

4.  Reach.  Bey.  Sch.     (i)  Adv.     (2)  Inv.    (3)  Vis. 
5-  Dang. 

f- ^ 


REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

Why  is  it  not  only  desirable  but  necessary  to  seek  for 
increase  in  the  membership  of  the  Sunday  school? 

What  is  the  percentage  of  change  in  Sunday  schools 
annually  ? 

For  what  should  search  be  made  in  the  school? 

How  may  the  absentees  from  the  school  be  looked 
after? 


152  Organizing  the  Sunday  School 

What  traits  in  a  Sunday  school  will  naturally  draw  to 
it  scholars? 

Why  should  the  Sunday  school  be  made  a  prominent 
feature  in  the  church  ? 

What  are  some  special  occasions  in  the  year  to  which 
attention  should  be  given? 

What  special  methods  of  building  up  the  school  may 
be  employed  in  certain  localities? 

How  may  the  school  be  advertised? 

What  are  some  advantages  in  a  personal  invitation? 

What  plans  for  the  visitation  of  the  field  are  suggested  ? 

What  caution  should  be  given  concerning  methods  of 
recruiting  the  Sunday  school? 

XVII.  THE  TESTS  OF  A  GOOD  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 
BLACKBOARD  OUTLINE 


1.  Rep.  Char.  4.  Sp. 

2.  Org.  5.  Edu.  EfF. 

3.  Ord.  6.  Char  .-bull. 


REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

What  is  meant  in  the  title  of  this  chapter? 

How  many  tests  or  criterions  are  here  named  ? 

What  are  these  tests? 

What  is  meant  by  the  representative  character  of  a 
Sunday  school? 

Why  is  organization  necessary  to  constitute  a  good 
school  ? 

What  is  included  in  a  graded  school? 

To  what  extent  is  order  a  requisite? 

How  may  the  demand  for  order  be  carried  to  excess? 

What  is  "spirit"  in  a  Sunday  school? 

What  constitutes  efficiency  in  Sunday-school  work? 

For  what  purpose  is  the  teaching  and  work  of  the 
Sunday  school  ? 

What  is  included  in  the  building  of  a  character,  as  an 
aim  of  the  Sunday  school? 

How  should  these  tests  or  traits  be  viewed? 

What  illustrative  passage  is  given  from  the  New 
Testament  ? 


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